CN108883869B

CN108883869B - Soft-sided insulated container with lid fitment

Info

Publication number: CN108883869B
Application number: CN201680080328.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: E.米切尔; M.巴茨; W.卡恩斯; C.爱德华兹; M.莫吉尔; R.斯蒂芬斯; A.巴拉廷; J.吴
Original assignee: California Innovations Inc
Current assignee: California Innovations Inc
Priority date: 2015-12-01
Filing date: 2016-12-01
Publication date: 2021-04-02
Anticipated expiration: 2036-12-01
Also published as: AU2022203985B2; CA3227050A1; CA2914401C; CA2914401A1; CN108883869A; WO2017091899A1; AU2016364860A1; AU2022203985A1; AU2016364860B2

Abstract

A soft-sided insulated container assembly having a generally box-like shape similar to a school lunch box has a body and a lid. The lid is formed by one of the largest panels of the box-like structure and is connected to the main body of the box by a hinge which allows the lid to lie flat alongside the main body when the box is opened. The inner surface of the lid then defines a working surface on which objects, such as food and beverages, can be placed. The working surface may be formed in a substantially rigid molded stiffener and may be divided into sections with raised retainers to prevent slippage of objects that are not precisely level. The container assembly may include a rigid liner with which the lid may be mated in a zipless manner. The cooperating portion of the cover may be formed in the same rigid member as the working surface.

Description

Soft-sided insulated container with lid fitment

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of thermally insulated portable containers.

Background

The portable soft-sided insulated container can be used to transport items that are best cold (e.g., drinks or salads) or items that are best warm (e.g., appetizers, hot dogs, etc.). Such containers are also used to carry liquids, including hot liquids (e.g., soup, coffee or tea) and cold liquids (e.g., beer, soft drinks or other carbonated beverages, fruit juices and milk). The container is typically made in the shape of a substantially cuboid (whether equal on a side or not) with a base, four vertical walls and a top. The upper wall is typically a lid that when opened allows items to be placed in or removed from the container. In soft-sided cooling devices, the main closure of the lid often relies on the closing action of a zipper, which is typically a zipper extending around three sides of a rectangle, while the fourth side of the lid is hinged.

Some people sometimes do not want to bother to open the main closure, especially if it is necessary to open with both hands and the process is cumbersome. They may prefer to use a one-handed operable closure member, such as a zipless closure member. Furthermore, while it may be appropriate to open the primary closure member to fill the insulated container, and this may occur in a kitchen or other loading location where full opening is desired and convenient, opening the entire primary closure member may result in a faster heat loss (or a faster heat absorption, depending on the particular situation) when using the device than if a smaller secondary closure member were used.

Furthermore, when the object is taken out from the cooling device, it is convenient if there is a place to temporarily rest the object. It may be desirable to dispense a can of ginger soda or cola while pouring the beverage into the cup, or to have a place where the lemon or lime can be properly cut. For whatever reason, it may be desirable to have a place to place the object even if the cooling device is closed simply to free up the hand. Also, the placement location is convenient if it is adjacent to an easily accessible opening; the resting position should be stable so that objects placed thereon are not prone to shaking or tipping, and easy to clean so that when beverages or other objects are spilled thereon, they need only be wiped clean with a cloth. Furthermore, if the surface is not exactly level (e.g., at picnic, at a sport, or on a beach), it is convenient to place the surface in a position that prevents the object from sliding or limits the extent to which the object can slide.

If the insulated container is a collapsible insulated container that can be collapsed or folded into a collapsed position when not in use, the mounting should be such as to avoid interfering with the movement of the assembly into the collapsed, collapsed or storage position when the rigid work surface or table top (whatever its particular name is) is mounted. Alternatively, the rigidity of the work surface may define a frame or stiffening member which, when in place, helps the assembly retain its shape in use.

Disclosure of Invention

In one aspect of the invention, a soft-sided insulated container or container assembly is provided. It has a soft-sided insulating body defining an insulating chamber inside it. The insulated container has a lid with a proximal portion hingedly mounted to a rear portion of the soft-sided insulated body. The soft-sided proximal portion is not rigid. The cover has a distal portion furthest from the rear portion. The distal portion has a rigid fitting extending therealong. The rigid fitting includes at least one rigid socket. The socket has a deep hole projecting inwardly from the cover. The socket has a retainer arranged therearound. The retaining member extends outwardly from the cover.

One feature of this aspect of the invention is that the rigid fitting defines a leading edge of the distal portion, the leading edge being furthest from the rear portion. Another feature is that the rigid fitting has a substantially flat web. The mesh panel defines a rigid forward extension of the proximal portion. The deep hole of the socket projects inwardly from the web plate, and the holder projects outwardly from the web plate. Another feature is the receptacle being a first receptacle and the distal portion having a second receptacle. The rigid fitting includes a substantially flat central web extending between first and second sockets.

Another feature is the cover being releasably secured to the soft-sided insulating body by a first closure member. The first closure member is operable to allow the lid to move between an open position and a closed position. The cap has a second closure member defined therein intermediate the proximal portion thereof. In another feature, the second closure member is a zipless closure. Another feature is the second closure member including a flexible side panel hingedly mounted within the proximal portion.

Another feature is that the body is collapsible and the proximal portion is foldable thereon when the body is collapsed. Another additional feature is the soft-sided closure member being mounted intermediate the proximal portions and being foldable with the proximal portions. Another additional feature is the soft-sided closure member being mounted intermediate the proximal portions and the soft-sided closure member being open to the rigid fitment.

In another aspect of the present invention, a soft-sided insulated container is provided having a soft-sided insulated body defining an insulated chamber therein, and a lid hingedly mounted thereon. The cover is movable between an open position and a closed position relative to the insulated compartment. It has a securing means by which the lid is releasably retained in the closed position. The body is movable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. The lid is hingedly connected to the rear of the body and the body is then in a collapsed configuration. The cover may be folded over the body such that a distal portion of the cover extends forward of the body. The distal portion of the lid includes a rigid member extending along an edge furthest from the rear of the body. The rigid member has at least one retainer defined therein. The retainer includes a rigid deep hole projecting inwardly relative to the insulated chamber when the cover is secured in the closed position, and a peripheral rim projecting beyond the cover.

One feature of this aspect of the invention is that the cover has an inset access panel mounted between the rigid member and the rear portion. Another feature is the recessed access panel being soft-sided and having a zipper-less closure. Another feature is the rigid member having two retainers and an intermediate web extending between the two retainers. Another feature is the cover having a proximal portion closest to the rear of the body.

In another aspect of the invention, a soft-sided insulated container is provided having a soft-sided insulating body defining an insulated chamber therein. The insulated container also has a lid having a proximal portion hingedly mounted to the rear of the soft-sided insulated body. The soft-sided proximal portion is not rigid. The cover has a distal portion furthest from the rear portion. The distal portion has a rigid fitting extending therealong. The rigid fitting occupies a small portion of the cover.

Another feature is the rigid fitment including a drinking recess. An additional feature is the rigid fitting including a portion coplanar with the lid, a first portion of the drinking recess extending from the lid, and a second portion of the drinking recess including a deep hole extending from the lid.

In another aspect of the invention, any combination of any feature of any one embodiment shown or described herein with any feature of any other embodiment shown or described herein is provided, unless these features are mutually exclusive. In another aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus substantially as shown or described, in whole or in part, herein.

Drawings

These aspects and other features of the invention will be understood from the following description of some exemplary and non-limiting embodiments of the principles of the invention, in which:

FIG. 1a is a perspective view of an embodiment of a soft-sided container assembly, as viewed from the front, top, and right, the assembly shown in an expanded state with its auxiliary closure member in an open state, according to one aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 1b is a perspective view of the container assembly of FIG. 1a, with the auxiliary closure member in a closed condition, as viewed from above along a diagonal opposite the perspective of FIG. 1 a;

FIG. 1c is a top view of the container assembly of FIG. 1 a;

FIG. 1d is a bottom view of the container of FIG. 1 a;

FIG. 1e is a front view of the container assembly of FIG. 1 a;

FIG. 1f is a rear view of the container assembly of FIG. 1 a;

FIG. 1g is a left side view of the container assembly of FIG. 1 a;

FIG. 1h is a right side view of the container assembly of FIG. 1 a;

FIG. 2a is a perspective view of the container assembly of FIG. 1a in a collapsed or folded state, taken from the front, upper side and looking to the right;

FIG. 2b is a perspective view of the folded container assembly of FIG. 2a taken from the underside, front side and to the left;

FIG. 2c is a perspective view of the folded container assembly of FIG. 2a taken from the top, back and right along a diagonal opposite to FIG. 2 b;

FIG. 2d is a front view of the container assembly of FIG. 2 a;

FIG. 2e is a rear view of the container assembly of FIG. 2 a;

FIG. 2f is a top view of the container assembly of FIG. 2 a;

FIG. 2g is a bottom view of the container of FIG. 2 a;

FIG. 2h is a left side view of the container assembly of FIG. 2 a;

FIG. 2i is a right side view of the container assembly of FIG. 2 a;

FIG. 3a is an isometric view of the container assembly of FIG. 1a showing the auxiliary closure member of the top panel in an open condition and showing the front auxiliary compartment closure member in an open position;

FIG. 3b is a top view of the container assembly of FIG. 3a, as viewed from above, with the auxiliary closure member of the container assembly in an open position;

FIG. 3c is a view of the container assembly of FIG. 3a from the upper side to the left with the primary closure member of the container assembly in a fully open condition;

FIG. 3d is a cross-sectional view of the container assembly of FIG. 1a taken along section '3 d-3 d' of FIG. 1 c;

FIG. 4a is a top view of the substantially rigid member of the container of FIG. 1 a;

FIG. 4b is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the member of FIG. 4a taken along section '4 b-4 b';

FIG. 4c is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the member of FIG. 4a taken along section '4 c-4 c';

FIG. 4d is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the member of FIG. 4a taken along section '4 d-4 d';

FIG. 5a is a perspective view of another arrangement of the soft-sided insulated container assembly of FIG. 1a in an expanded state;

FIG. 5b is a perspective view of the soft side cooling device assembly of FIG. 5a in a retracted, retracted or storage position or configuration;

FIG. 5c is an end view of the soft-sided insulated container assembly of FIG. 5 b;

FIG. 5d is a front view of the soft-sided insulated container assembly of FIG. 5 b;

FIG. 5e is a top view of the soft-sided insulated container assembly of FIG. 5 b;

FIG. 6a shows a perspective view of another soft-sided container assembly different from that of FIG. 1a, with the movable work surface members in an extended position;

FIG. 6b is a top view of the container assembly of FIG. 6a with the work surface in a stored or retracted position;

FIG. 6c is a front view of the container assembly of FIG. 6 b;

FIG. 6d is an exploded view of a three-piece work surface sandwich assembly used in the container assembly of FIG. 6 a;

FIG. 6e shows the assembled components with the work surface assembly of FIG. 6d in an extended state;

FIG. 6f shows a top view of the assembly of FIG. 6e in a closed or retracted position;

FIG. 7a is a perspective view of another soft-sided insulated container assembly, different from the soft-sided insulated container assembly of FIG. 1a, as viewed from the front right corner thereof, with an extension shelf assembly mounted on the back wall thereof;

FIG. 7b is a top view of the container assembly of FIG. 7 a;

FIG. 7c is a front view of the container assembly of FIG. 7 a;

FIG. 7d is an expanded (i.e., unfolded) view of the shelf assembly of the container assembly of FIG. 7 a;

FIG. 7e is a perspective view of the shelf assembly of FIG. 7d in a collapsed or folded position;

FIG. 7f is a perspective view of the shelf assembly of FIG. 7e in a partially unfolded position;

FIG. 7g is a perspective view of the shelf assembly of FIG. 7e in a partially unfolded position;

FIG. 7h is a perspective view of the shelf assembly of FIG. 7e in a partially unfolded position;

FIG. 7i is a perspective view of the shelf assembly of FIG. 7e in a partially unfolded position;

FIG. 7j is a side view of the shelf assembly of FIG. 7e in a fully collapsed position or the state of FIG. 7 e;

FIG. 7k is a side view of the shelf assembly of FIG. 7j in a partially unfolded position;

FIG. 7l is a side view of the shelf assembly of FIG. 7j in a fully expanded and unfolded position or state;

FIG. 7m is an exploded perspective view of an alternative shelf assembly different from that of FIG. 7j, with the movable flap in an open state; and

FIG. 7n is a cross-sectional view of the shelf assembly of FIG. 7m in a closed, retracted or storage position;

FIG. 8a is an isometric view of another collapsible soft-sided insulated container embodiment different from that of FIG. 1a in an expanded or distended state;

FIG. 8b is a right side view of the container of FIG. 8 a;

FIG. 8c is a left side view of the container of FIG. 8 a;

FIG. 8d is a front view of the container of FIG. 8 a;

FIG. 8e is a rear view of the container of FIG. 8 a;

FIG. 8f is a top view of the container of FIG. 8 a;

FIG. 8g is a bottom view of the container of FIG. 8 a;

FIG. 8h is a cross-sectional view of the container assembly of FIG. 8a taken along the centerline symmetry plane;

FIG. 9a is an isometric view of the collapsible soft-sided insulated container of FIG. 8a in a retracted, stored or collapsed state;

FIG. 9b is a front view of the container of FIG. 9 a;

FIG. 9c is a rear view of the container of FIG. 9 a;

FIG. 9d is a right side view of the container of FIG. 9 a;

FIG. 9e is a left side view of the container of FIG. 9 a;

FIG. 9f is a top view of the container of FIG. 9 a;

FIG. 9g is a bottom view of the container of FIG. 9 a;

FIG. 10a is a perspective view of a hard fitting of the lid of the container of FIG. 8 a;

FIG. 10b is a top view of the hard fitting of FIG. 10 a;

FIG. 10c is a front view of the hard fitting of FIG. 10 a;

FIG. 10d is a right side view of the hard fitting of FIG. 10 a;

FIG. 10e is a left side view of the hard fitting of FIG. 10 a;

FIG. 11a is an isometric view of another embodiment of a soft-sided shrinkable insulated container, different from the soft-sided shrinkable insulated container of FIG. 8a, when mounted on a wheeled cart;

FIG. 11b is a top view of an alternative embodiment of FIG. 11 a;

FIG. 11c is a front view of an alternative embodiment of FIG. 11 a;

FIG. 11d is an isometric view of another embodiment of a soft-sided shrinkable insulated container, different from the soft-sided shrinkable insulated container of FIG. 11 a;

FIG. 11e is an isometric view of another embodiment of a soft-sided shrinkable insulated container, different from the soft-sided shrinkable insulated container of FIG. 11 a;

FIG. 11f is an isometric view of another embodiment of a soft-sided shrinkable insulated container, different from the soft-sided shrinkable insulated container of FIG. 11 a;

FIG. 12a is an isometric view of another embodiment of a soft-sided shrinkable insulated container having intermediate reinforcing members, different from the soft-sided shrinkable insulated container of FIG. 8 a;

FIG. 12b is an isometric view of another embodiment of a hard stiffening member of FIG. 11 a;

FIG. 12c is a top view of the reinforcement member of FIG. 12 b;

FIG. 12d is a detail view of the connection of the reinforcement member of FIG. 12b to the main structure of the embodiment of FIG. 12 a;

FIG. 13a is an isometric view of another reinforcement member that is different from the reinforcement member of FIG. 12 b;

FIG. 13b is a top view of the reinforcement member of FIG. 13 a;

FIG. 13c is a cross-sectional view of the reinforcement member of FIG. 13a taken along '13c-13 c';

FIG. 14a is an isometric view of another reinforcement member that is different from the reinforcement member of FIG. 12 b;

FIG. 14b is a top view of the reinforcement member of FIG. 14 a;

FIG. 14c is a cross-sectional view of the reinforcement member of FIG. 14a taken along '14c-14 c';

FIG. 15a is an isometric view of another embodiment that differs from the embodiment of FIG. 12 a;

FIG. 15b is an isometric view of another embodiment of a hard member that differs from the stiffening member of FIG. 12 b;

FIG. 15c is a top view of the alternative embodiment of FIG. 15 a; and

FIG. 15d is a cross-sectional view of the hardened member of FIG. 15c taken along '15d-15 d'.

Detailed Description

The following description and the implementations described therein are illustrative of particular implementations of the principles of the present invention. These embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention and do not limit the invention. In the description, like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawings with the same corresponding reference numerals. Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings may be to scale. For example, the figure 3d is not drawn to scale. The words used herein are intended to include both the singular and the plural, and include synonyms or analogous terms for the used terms, and include equivalents of their english language or any translation language of this specification, without being limited to a particular word or phrase.

For ease of illustration, a Cartesian coordinate system may be used. In such a coordinate system, the length (or maximum dimension) of the object may be considered as the extension in the x-axis direction, the bottom surface (if substantially flat) of the object may be considered as the extension in the x-y plane, and the height of the object may be measured in the vertical direction (or z-direction). The largest substantially upright panel may be arbitrarily designated as the front and rear sides, surfaces or portions of the container when the container assembly is seated on its floor. Similarly, the closure member or opening of the bag may be arbitrarily designated as being at the top and the bottom panel may be designated as being at the bottom, as these terms may be appropriate for the customary orientation in which objects are typically placed, sold or used, although the objects may sometimes be accessed with one side of the object as the bottom, at the option of the user. It should also be understood that while the terms cooling device, cooling container or cooling bag may be used within the normal temperature ranges that are routinely encountered by human food and humans, such insulated structures may also be used to maintain food, beverages or other objects in a warm or cool, cold or frozen state in general. Unless otherwise specified, the terms "interior" and "exterior", "inwardly" and "outwardly" refer to a position or orientation relative to the enclosed space of the container assembly.

In the present specification, the description is made with reference to the heat insulating container. The adjective "thermally insulated" refers to its customary and ordinary meaning as understood by those skilled in the art. The term is not intended to include individual layers or skins of conventional webbing materials, such as nylon (t.m.), woven polyester, canvas, cotton, burlap, leather, paper, etc., for which no specific characteristic is otherwise indicated or relied upon as being effective thermal insulation except in the case of being provided with a heat transfer resistant material or characteristic other than a plain sheet material or itself. In this specification, when it is stated that a component, structure or wall is of a thermally insulating construction, this term is to be understood to mean that the wall has a layer of thermal insulation, as opposed to being of a mere layer of plastics or canvas, or paper or cardboard, or webbing construction, which relies on its own resistance to heat transfer. For example, the insulating wall may have an outer surface, skin or coating which, in the case of a soft-sided insulating container, may be a nylon layer which may be woven or textured nylon. The wall may have an inner surface, an inner skin or a coating, such as a vinyl liner or a foil layer. A layer of insulating material, which typically may be a closed cell or open cell foam, may be disposed between the inner skin and the outer skin. This annotation is provided to supersede any dictionary definition and prevent any interpretation by the patent office from deviating from the customary and ordinary meaning of the term "adiabatic" provided herein.

Similarly, the description herein is intended to discuss various embodiments of soft-sided containers, rather than hard-sided containers. In industry terminology, a soft-sided cooling device, bag or container is a container without a substantially rigid high-density exoskeleton (typically a molded shell, made of ABS or polyethylene, for example, or other common types of molded plastics). As noted above, soft-sided insulated container walls often have an outer skin, an insulating layer, and an inner skin, both of which are some sort of webbing, such as a woven fabric, nylon sheet, or other film. The insulating layer may be a multi-component interlayer, typically a flexible or elastomeric layer, possibly composed of a softer and more flexible foam material.

The soft sided container may be a soft sided container as described herein comprising one or more substantially rigid inner liners disposed in a soft sided wall structure, or more generally one or more slats (which may be of a harder plastic) concealed in a soft sided wall structure, or a soft sided container which may use a hard molded fitment at the periphery or lip of the container, or use a hard molded fitment to provide a base or wheel mounting point, but the outside of the assembly consists primarily of soft sided panels. Likewise, this definition is also intended to prevent any patent office from interpreting the word "soft-sided" in a manner that deviates from the ordinary and customary meaning of the terms as understood by those skilled in the art and as described herein.

Further, in this specification, when it is stated that an object is collapsible, it is meant that it can be intentionally collapsed or folded, rather than being broken when subjected to sufficient force. A collapsible container is a container that moves between a known collapsed position and a known expanded or distended position.

Referring to the drawings, a soft-sided insulated container assembly is generally indicated by reference numeral 20. The container assembly 20 has a first or main portion or body 22 and a second portion 24 that mates with the first portion 22. Typically, the main portion or body 22 has a wall structure or housing 26 defining an internal volume or cavity, receptacle or chamber 28 (regardless of its designation), the chamber 28 being for receiving objects that may need to be held in a cold or warm state, for example, a variety of such objects being shown as 'a' and 'B' in fig. 1 a. The housing 26 may have the properties of a soft-sided insulating wall structure 34, as described below. The second portion 24 may be or include an upper wall or panel that defines a closure member or lid 32, the closure member or lid 32 being movable between open and closed positions to control access to the interior of the body 22. The lid 32 may define a first or primary closure member of the container assembly. In the event that containment of a liquid is desired, the container assembly 22 may include a liner 30 for use within the wall structure 26. In one embodiment, to the extent that body or portion 22 includes an inner liner 30, liner 30 may be made by folding a unitary sheet of plastic (typically a clear plastic vinyl sheet), with the folding of the corners as shown and described in U.S. patent 6,582,124 issued 6/24/2003. The liner 30 may have an upper edge and may be releasably secured at the upper edge by rail-type fasteners or by hook-and-eye fabric strip fasteners, or a combination thereof, such that the liner 30 is water-impermeable and removable from within the wall structure 34 (and more generally from the container assembly 20) for cleaning or replacement, or the like.

The housing 26 may be made of a thermally insulating material 37 to provide thermal insulation of the chamber 28. Insulation 37 may be located between the outer cover 36 and the inner surface sheet 38. The insulating material inhibits heat transfer between the chamber 28 and the environment surrounding the container assembly 20. This helps to maintain the temperature of the item (e.g., food) stored within the container (i.e., chamber 28), whether the item is cooler or warmer. When the cover 32 is in the closed position, heat transfer can be suppressed to a greater extent. The insulating material 37 may be relatively soft (e.g., closed or open cell resilient foam) so that the container is less susceptible to damage or damage from objects with which it is in contact. The housing 26 is also easy to clean if a suitable plastic or other material is used, or if an anti-fouling surface coating or surface treatment is used, to remove dirt and other debris that may have been deposited during use.

The housing 26 may have an insulated bottom panel 40 and insulated wall panels (i.e., a front panel 42, a rear panel 44, and a pair of left and right end or side panels 46 and 48). The selection of front, back, left and right is arbitrary. However, for the purposes of this description, the rear panel 44 may be understood as a panel having an upper edge to which the lid 24 is attached, and the front panel 42 is a panel opposite the rear panel 44 and remote from the rear panel 44. Typically, the front and rear plates may lie primarily in the x-z plane, although other embodiments may be made; the end or side panels may lie primarily in the y-z plane and the bottom panel may lie primarily in the x-y plane, with the respective wall panels cooperating with one another to define five sides of the enclosure having an internal cavity or volume, identified as chamber 28, for receiving an object to be held in a warm or cold state. Each

panel

40, 42, 44, 46, and 48 may be disposed substantially at right angles to two adjacent wall panels. For example, panel 44 has one end adjacent panel 46 and the other end adjacent panel 48. The bottom panel may be attached along its edges to all four

panels

42, 44, 46 and 48. The base 40 and

panels

42, 44, 46 and 48 may typically be rectangular, with respective pairs of

side panels

42 and 44, and 46 and 48. In this configuration, the chamber 28 is generally cubical. The

panels

42, 44, 46, and 48 and the base plate 40 may be secured to one another by stitching, gluing, or some other suitable fastening means. The front, left and

right side panels

42, 46 and 48 may be made of a single piece of insulating material. The cover 32, backplate 44, and base plate 40 may also be formed from a single piece of material. For example, the backplate 44 and the lid 32 may be formed from a single piece of material having a fold therein (e.g., at the hinge 62) to define the backplate 44 and the lid 32. It should be noted that the lid 32 may thus be connected to the upper edge of the back plate 44 by a flexible fabric hinge.

In alternative embodiments, the housing 26 may have less than four or more than four substantially vertical panels (not shown). For example, the housing 26 may be configured with a continuous panel defining a circular wall forming a right cylinder or other generally circular shape.

The chamber 28 may have a lip or rim 50, and the lip or rim 50 may define a primary opening 60 through which objects may be introduced into the chamber 28 of the container assembly 20 or removed from the chamber 28 of the container assembly 20.

Panels

42, 44, 46 and 48 may have upper or distal edges or edges 52, 54, 56 and 58, respectively, which in the case of edges or edges 52, 56 and 58 are also free edges. The edge 54 may be a hinge 62 or terminate at a hinge 62, which hinge 62 may be a fabric or mesh panel hinge. The four edges 52, 54, 56 and 58 cooperate to define a main container opening 60 circumscribing a perimeter. The lid 32 is hingedly or pivotally attached to the rear panel edge 54 (as shown at hinge 62) and is pivotally movable about its rear hinged edge between a closed (or sealed) position and an open (or unsealed) position to control access to the interior of the assembly (i.e., the chamber 28) to allow or prevent the introduction of an object to be received into or removal of an object from the container. In the closed position, the lid 32 may be secured in place by a track-type closure member (such as a zipper as shown). The housing 26 may have a lifting member, such as a shoulder strap 64 attached thereto (e.g., at the side panels 46 and 48).

Fig. 3d shows the general structure of a cross-section of one of the insulating wall panels, revealing structural layers, wherein the thickness may be exaggerated for exemplary purposes. In addition to the auxiliary pocket 24, the cross-section is not only typical of the front panel 42, but is also typical of the rear panel 44,

side panels

46 and 48, and bottom panel 40 in general. The outer layer, facing or coating 36 of the panel (42, 44, 46 or 48) is a skin in the nature of a nylon, woven nylon, canvas or other coating 68, which tends to be abrasion resistant. It covers an intermediate insulating medium which may, for example, have the properties of a closed cell foam insulation layer 37 for inhibiting (i.e., preventing) heat transfer between the interior of the container assembly 20 and the external environment. The inner surface of the insulated wall panel (i.e., the inner surface sheet 38) may be an inner skin in the nature of a flexible sheet, which may be constructed of vinyl (t.m.) or a bright and reflective plasticized metal foil. The metal foil material may be a commercially available material under the name Therma-Flect (t.m.). The same general structural arrangement is also primarily employed in the base panel 40, although the outer cover 66 may be a thicker, more wear resistant material than the outer skin of the upwardly extending side walls.

The container assembly 20 may include another or auxiliary wall panel or panel assembly 68, the wall panel or panel assembly 68 being mountable to the front face of the front panel 42 to define an auxiliary housing, chamber, pocket, bag, container or compartment (named anyway) indicated by reference numeral 70. While the illustrated embodiment of the wall plate assembly 68 is thermally insulated, in other embodiments, such insulation is optional. The wall panel assembly may extend substantially the entire width of the front panel 42, or only a portion thereof, and may extend substantially the entire height of the front panel 42 or a smaller portion thereof. Some embodiments of the container assembly 20 may not include the wall panel assembly 68. The wall panel assembly 68 may include a closure member and the closure member may include a track-type fastener (e.g., a zipper) or other fastening accessory as may be appropriate, as indicated by reference numeral 72. The lower portion of the wall plate assembly 68 (or the lower portion of the front plate 42 when such a wall plate 68 is not in use) may have a securing fitting, such as that shown at 74.

In the case of the liner 30, the liner may be a folded vinyl liner (which may be a clear vinyl liner), and the liner 30 may be removable and washable. The liner 30 may have the same general box-like shape as the chamber 28 and may fit therein accordingly. The upper side of liner 30 is typically open, corresponding to opening 60, and the upper edge of liner 30 or the periphery of liner 30 is typically sewn into a seam. It may have a half zipper 55 sewn along the edge of three sides that mate with the half zipper opposite zipper 55 mounted on the three free edges at the respective

upper edges

52, 56 and 58 of housing 26. The upper edge 54 of the rear wall of the liner 30 may include a hook-and-eye fabric fastening strip (e.g., Velcro (t.m.)) as indicated at 76 for mating with a corresponding hook-and-eye fabric fastening strip 78 mounted to the upper edge of the inner surface of the rear panel 44.

Turning now to the top panel (i.e., the panel defining the lid 32) of the container assembly 20, as described above, the top panel is movable between first and second positions, one of which is more obstructing the opening 60 than the other. The top plate or lid 32 is sized to generally fit the opening 60. That is, where the opening 60 has a shape and size (which may be considered as a projection in the z-direction, e.g., may define a footprint of the opening), the cover 32 may have a corresponding shape and size or footprint. In some embodiments, the footprint of the opening 60 and the cover 32 may also correspond to the footprint of the base plate 40.

The lid 32 may have a first portion 82 and a second portion 84. With the junction of the hinge 62 at the upper edge 54 of the rear panel 44 as a reference, the first portion 82 may be referred to as a proximal portion and the second portion 84 may be referred to as a distal portion. The proximal portion 82 may include, from the outside to the inside, an outer surface layer 86, a flexible stiffener or panel 88, an insulation layer 90, and an inner surface layer 92. The outer surface layer 86 may be a flexible web of fabric, which may be a woven fabric, or a plastic sheet. The flexible stiffener 88, which may be used in some embodiments, may function as a protective thermal barrier and also function as a spring. When a flexible stiffener 88 is used, the flexible stiffener 88 may be placed inside or outside the thermal insulation layer 90 and function to provide a higher bending resistance than the thermal insulation layer 90 itself, such that the first portion 82 is generally more resistant to bending than the soft side wall structure and tends to form a curved or curled shape when bent, rather than a crease. It should be noted that although the stiffener 88 is soft, resilient or pliable in the out-of-plane (i.e., out of the x-y plane) bending (e.g., when the lid 32 is folded around the other panels in the collapsed and secured configuration shown in fig. 2a, 2b, 2c, 2h and 2 i), the stiffener 88 is relatively stiff in resisting in-plane (i.e., in the x-y plane) shear (i.e., when a-x-direction shear force is applied at the hinge 62 on the proximal edge of the stiffener 88 and a + x-direction counter-acting shear force is on the corresponding distal edge of the stiffener 88).

In some embodiments, the container assembly 20 may be collapsible. That is, in these embodiments, the container assembly 20 may be movable between a first position, which may be identified as an expanded or deployed state or position as shown in the first set of figures 1 a-1 h, and a second position, which may be identified as a collapsed, retracted or collapsed, or storage position (regardless of the terminology used) as shown in the second set of figures 2a-2 i. These first and second positions are predetermined, intentional, repeatable configurations of the container assembly 20. The container assembly 20 may include a fastener or fastener fitting 94, and the fastener or fastener fitting 94 may be a strip of hook-and-eye fabric that engages a mating fastener, such as at the end of a retaining band 96, thereby securing the container assembly 20 in the collapsed position or state. The distal edge of cover 32 may similarly have a cover underside retainer fitting 98, which retainer fitting 98 is adapted to engage retainer fitting 74 in the retracted position. It should be noted that in the folded position, the front panel 42 maintains or substantially maintains a generally planar and parallel orientation relative to the rear panel 44 (without forgetting the overall flexibility of the structure, the extent to which the panels are planar or precisely parallel is generally). However, upon collapsing, the

side panels

46 and 48 and the bottom panel 40 fold in the manner shown in figures 2a, 2b, 2c, 2g, 2h and 2 i. After folding, the distance between the front face of the front panel 42 and the front face of the rear panel 44 is a function of the double thickness of the

side panels

46, 48 plus the thickness of the front panel 42.

In the expanded or deployed position, the container assembly may be in the conventional form of a generally cubic, square or rectangular box. In this position or state, the lid 32 pivots on the hinge 62 between open and closed positions and may have a generally flat state. In contrast, in the retracted or folded position, the distance in the y-direction from the front of the rear panel 44 to the front of the front panel 42 is not small. However, in this condition, the proximal portion 82 actually acts as a large extending hinge that bends or curls or extends around other elements of the container assembly 20, and the proximal portion 82 is of sufficient extent to allow the distal portion 84 to abut the front plate 42 and be secured to the front plate 42 by engagement of the cover underside securing fitting 98 with the securing fitting 74.

The second portion 84 may define or include a substantially rigid member 100 having a working surface. For convenience, this work surface may be referred to as a desktop 110. In some embodiments, the second portion 84 (and the table top 110) may correspond from the hinge 62 to the lidThe entire or nearly the entire cap 32 (i.e., there may be little "first portion") at the distal-most end of the cap 32. Alternatively, the respective lengths L in the x-direction₈₂And L₈₄In other words, the relative proportion of the first portion 82 to the second portion 84 may be 0<L₈₂/L₈₄<1/2, and may be 1/5<L₈₂/L₈₄<2/5, and may be narrower, is 1/4<L₈₂/L₈₄<1/5. It should be understood that the length of the lid 32 in the y-direction is generally L₈₂And L₈₄The sum of (a) and (b).

Similarly, in some embodiments, such as in the collapsible embodiments described above, the body 22 may have a height in the z-direction that is the distance from the lower surface of the bottom panel 40 to the peripheral edge 50 and is substantially the same (although possibly not exactly the same) as the z-direction extension of the front panel 42, and thus may be identified as h₄₂. In the embodiment of FIG. 1a, the length of the second portion 84 may be less than or equal to the height, L, of the front plate 42₈₂<h₄₂Such that in the collapsed condition, in the compact folded position, the second portion 84 may rest on or generally abut the panel 44 without interfering with or interfering with the overall folding ability of the main body 22.

The second portion 84 may include a first region 102 and a second region 104. The first region 102 may include a desktop 110. The second region 104 may include a second, auxiliary, or alternative closure member (or closure member assembly) 106 that provides access to the chamber 28 through a second or auxiliary opening 108.

The substantially rigid member 100 is, supports, or defines a first area 102 that includes a table top 110. In some embodiments, the extent of the substantially rigid member 100 is such that a portion thereof also supports the second region 104, or extends around the second region 104, or defines the second region 104, although this is not necessarily required. In some embodiments, the secondary closure member need not be reinforced with a rigid member, but may be formed as a soft-sided, unreinforced panel structure.

The component 100 may have a generally rectangular perimeter 112, the perimeter 112 being generally located at the firstx-y plane P₁₁₂And (4) the following steps. The perimeter 112 may include a rear or proximal edge 113 closest to the hinge 62, an adjoining first portion 82 of the lid 32, and an opposing distal edge 114 furthest from the hinge 62.

Edges

113 and 114 may extend substantially parallel to hinge 62 along the x-direction. The perimeter 112 may also include a left side edge 115 and a right side edge 116, which are spaced apart and opposite from each other.

Edges

115 and 116 may extend in the y-direction when the cooling device is expanded and lid 32 is closed.

The edge 113 may abut the first portion 82, or, in embodiments without the first portion 82, the edge 113 may abut the hinge 62. The rim 114 may also extend along the distal-most edge of the lid 32 that is furthest from the hinge 62, such that the member extends radially with respect to the hinge 62 over the entire length of the second portion 84, which length may also be expressed as the full length of the second portion 84 in the y-direction when the lid 32 is closed. In this case, the rim 114 may abut the upper edge 52 of the front panel 42 and extend along a portion or the entire upper edge 52 of the front panel 42 when the lid 32 is closed and the primary closure fastener (whether a zipper or other track-type fastener) is in a mated closed configuration.

Similarly, when the lid 32 is closed, the left side edge 115 may extend along the leftmost edge of the lid 32, and for some or all of its extension in the y-direction, it may extend along the upper edge 56 of the left side end panel 46; the right side edge 116 may extend along the rightmost edge of the lid 32 and, for part or the entire extent thereof in the y-direction, it may extend along the upper edge 58 of the right side end panel 48. Where edges 115 and 116 extend along the leftmost and rightmost edges of the cover, member 100 spans the entire width of cover 32, or, in other words, member 100 extends in the x-direction over the entire length of cover 32.

Where the edges of the member 100 extend along the edges of the cover 32 and cover the upper edges of the

panels

42, 46 and 48, the member 100 locally stiffens these upper edges and secures their position. With the edges of the members 100 extending along any two of them or cooperating with the distal edges of the reinforcing members 88, the reinforcing members 100 will stabilize the upper edges to stabilize the relative positions of the so-connected upper edges and act as substantially rigid shear plates between the wall panels to maintain, if not form, the rectangular relationship of the side wall panels relative to one another and, more generally, maintain the generally rectangular planar form of the container assembly 20 in the expanded position. When viewed in projection along the z-direction (with the cover 32 closed over the perimeter 50), the member 100 may have the same or substantially the same extent or coverage area (e.g., in the longitudinal and transverse directions) as the second portion 84. In other embodiments, the table top 100 may be smaller than the second portion 84.

The periphery 112 may have a contour of a concave leg or toe 118 at the outermost end. The downward step or recess, indicated by reference numeral 108, provides a base for the fabric material to be sewn or otherwise secured thereto so that the fabric can be flush.

The substantially rigid member 100 has a working surface 120 on which an object, such as a can, bottle or glass, cup or mug, can be placed. The working surface 112 is in an orientation facing away from the chamber 28 and may provide an anvil surface on which apples, lemons or limes (or other fruits, vegetables or cheeses) or sandwiches may be cut. The surface may be made of or coated with any suitable rigid material, even wood, metal or ceramic. Most typically, it is made of a shaped plastic member, such as a high density plastic, e.g., a polyurethane sheet, a nylon sheet, a UHMW plastic, and the like. The sheet material used to mold or form table top 100 may have a nominal thickness in the range of approximately 1/32 "through 1/8", but typically may have a thickness of 1/16 "through 3/32".

Considering now the embodiment shown in fig. 4a to 4d, the first region 102 and the second region 104 are located on either side of the intermediate member 122, in the embodiment shown the intermediate member 122 extends across the member 100 in the y-direction between the

edges

113 and 114.

The first zone 102 has a recessed central portion or central web 124, which central portion or central web 124 is bounded at each edge by edges 113, 114,115 and intermediate member 122. The central portion or web 124 may be substantially flat and planar and may lie in a plane P₁₂₄In the plane P₁₂₄Substantially parallel to plane P₁₁₂And from plane P₁₁₂And (4) offsetting. In each case, the recessed central portion 124 is contiguous with a web or wall 126, the web or wall 126 lying primarily in the z-direction, connecting the central portion or web 124 to the

edges

113, 114, 115 and the member 122, thereby achieving the effect of defining a flange 130 around the flat central portion. The upper or outwardly facing surface 128 of the central web 124 defines the working surface of the table top or may be faced with a surface member or surface treated as appropriate, for example shaped as an anvil surface or formed with a non-slip roughened surface to prevent slippage. The peripheral flange also defines a retaining member or perimeter wall that prevents objects thereon from sliding in the event the cooling module 20 is placed on a surface that is not level precisely, and retains spillage to some extent until such spillage is cleaned away.

The tabletop 120 defined by the surface 128 does not necessarily have to be square or rectangular. For example, it may be circular, elliptical or oblong. It may be desirable to have a square or rectangular surface with a larger area, where the maximum y-direction width corresponds to h₄₂Or substantially so. The dimension in the x-direction may be comparable to the dimensions described above, and may be greater in some embodiments, even to the extent of the length of the lid 32 in the x-direction.

The second region 104 may also have a recessed portion 132, the recessed portion 132 itself deviating from the plane P in the z-direction₁₁₂X-y plane P of a certain distance₁₃₂The inner portion may be substantially flat. The offset distance may be less than, equal to, or greater than plane P₁₂₄And plane P₁₁₂The offset distance of (a). The recessed portion 132 is surrounded by a portion or all of the

edges

113, 114, 116 and intermediate member 122, again to the effect of forming a continuous flanged perimeter. (in the embodiment shown, the member 122 effectively becomes a channel-section profile or rib defining a partition between the

zones

102 and 104.) the net 132 has a central cut-outPort or opening 134. In plan view, the outline of mesh panel 132 may be square or rectangular, or may have the shape shown, with one side (the passenger side) being straight and relatively short, and the distal side (or non-passenger side) being relatively long, with the remaining two edges following a widened or widened shape, so that the overall outline is trapezoidal, with two acute angles and two angles formed on a larger radius. When assembled, the closure member 136 is fitted with a fixed edge along one side (the short side) to define a hinge 138. The closure member may be in the form of a flap movable between open and closed positions to control access to the chamber 28 through the opening 108. Zip-less fasteners, such as mating hook-and-eye fabric fastening strips 140, 142, may be provided to allow a user to operate the closure member 136 with a single hand. Although not required, it is convenient to have the distal edge of the closure member 106 directed toward the tabletop 120 or in the middle of the tabletop 120 so that the flap overhangs the outside edge of the lid 32 when the closure member 106 is open. Thereby not interfering with the easy removal of objects from the compartment 28 and the smooth placement of such objects on the table top 120. In some embodiments, the underside or inside of the first portion 82 of the lid 32 may be lined with a layer of insulation 144, and the inner skin of the layer 144 may be a reflective inner skin. Similarly, the underside of the portion 84 may have a thermal insulation layer 146, and the insulation layer 146 may have a reflective inner skin. The underside of the baffle of the auxiliary closure member 106 may also have a layer of insulation or felt, as indicated by reference numeral 148.

In the embodiment of fig. 1a to 1h, the first and second regions of the distal portion 84 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, with the opening of the auxiliary closing member 106 facing the table top 110. Various alternative embodiments are possible. For example, the closure member 106 may face the front of the device, i.e., toward the edge 114, or in other suitable directions. This arrangement form does not necessarily have to be a left-right direction arrangement. For example, in the embodiment of fig. 5a-5d, the soft-sided insulated container assembly 150 has an upper wall defining a cover or lid 152 that includes a rigid member 154 having substantially the same dimensional extent as the cover 152 (and more generally, the footprint of the bottom surface of the assembly 150). The rigid member 154 may include a first portion 156 defining a work surface or table top 158 and a second portion 160 defining a zipless secondary closure member 162. More generally, the closure member 162 has a hinge edge 164 adjacent a hinge edge 166 of the cover portion 152. The closure member 162 opens toward the table top 158 (i.e., toward the center or center of mass), but in this case, the closure member 162 is mounted along the rear edge of the cover 152 and is in a middle position in the left-right width direction. This position may be located on the centerline of the device. The rigid member 154 may be a molded piece having a deeper cross-section and may include a peripheral retention feature, such as a continuous peripheral lip 168 or a raised corner 170, or both. As best seen in FIG. 5c, the working

surface

172 or 158 of the table top section is a textured surface having a non-slip configuration.

As shown, the working surface 158 of the cover 152 can span the entire width of the surface in the x-direction, and can also span the entire depth of the surface from the back edge to the front edge in the y-direction (when the assembly is in an expanded state). As mentioned above, it may also form a rigid frame to maintain the overall box shape of the assembly when deployed. In this configuration, the lower edge of the rigid member 154 may be formed with a fastener, such as a rail fastener 155 (e.g., a zipper), by which it is connected to the lower portion or body 153 of the assembly 150, more generally, when the assembly is in the expanded position and the cover 152 is in the closed position relative to the assembly. When the rail-type fasteners 155 are released, the lid 152 may be moved to an open position similar to that shown for the assembly 20 in fig. 3c, for example, to allow loading of the container assembly 152.

An internal flexible hinge or web member 174, which may be made of nylon (t.m.) or other cloth material or of a material that is elasticized or somewhat elasticized or "resilient", in whole or in part, allows the rear edge of the lid 152 to separate from the upper edge of the rear wall of the body 153, the extended length of the member 174 allowing the lid 152 to fold over the front of the device as the device is contracted, when the assembly 150 is moved to a contracted position or state in which the member 174 curves over the contracted side walls in a manner similar to the curvature of the portion 82 of the assembly 20. When the assembly 150 is in the expanded position, the member 174 is suspended within the main inner housing of the assembly 150 in a manner similar to the chamber 28 of the assembly 20.

The structural auxiliary components of the assembly 150 may be different from those of the assembly 20, as shown by the outer bag 176 and the mesh 178. Otherwise, the insulated container assembly 150 is constructed substantially the same as the container assembly 20. The construction of the insulating wall structure is the same and, as mentioned above, the assembly 150 may also comprise a removable liner. The assembly 150 is a collapsible soft-sided insulated container assembly as shown in fig. 5 d. As with container assembly 20, the substantially rigid member has a length and width similar to the front face of container assembly 150, such that when collapsed as in fig. 5d, the collapsed container portion nests on rigid member 154 and has substantially the same projected contour as rigid member 154.

In another alternative embodiment, fig. 6a-6h illustrate a soft-sided insulated container assembly 180. It has a first portion 182 and a second portion 184. The first portion 182 defines a lower portion of the container body and may be considered to be substantially identical in construction to the body 22 of the container assembly 20, except that the front auxiliary container compartments 183 and 185 replace the auxiliary wall panel assembly 68.

The second portion 184 can be considered identical to the cover portion 32 of the container assembly 20, with a first portion 186 that is substantially identical to the first portion 82, except that a second portion 188 of the cover portion 184 has an expandable desktop structure or assembly, identified as a substantially rigid assembly 190, which replaces the substantially rigid member 100. The description of the lid portion 32 will not be repeated here.

Instead of a substantially rigid member 100, the assembly 190 has a three-piece sandwich assembly that includes a movable member as described below. The first component of the three-piece assembly is a base member or base frame, identified as a first substantially rigid member 192, having the same edge layout and footprint as the member 100, and sewn in the same manner to the underlying fabric and the insulating elements 184 of the second section. Rigid member 192 has a substantially flat central screen portion 194 that spans second portion 188 in the x and y directions and is bounded on three sides of its perimeter by out-of-plane stiffening members or flanges, identified as first (or left), second (or front), and third (or right)

flanges

196, 197, and 198, which lie out of the x-y plane of central screen portion 194 in the z direction, respectively. These reinforcements may also act as retainers or retaining walls that guide or inhibit movement. While the out-of-plane stiffener may have a variety of shapes, in the illustrated embodiment, the

components

196, 197, and 198 have the form of hat or channel sections molded into the member 192. The outer leg 199 of the hat-shaped cross-section may be coplanar (or substantially coplanar) with the central mesh panel portion 194, although it may have a thinner cross-section. The resulting U-shaped wall (when viewed from above) terminates at its left and right rear edges as inward turned abutments or stops, as indicated by

reference numerals

200, 202. The rear edge of the member 192 may be substantially unobstructed and flat, except for the

stops

200, 202.

The rigid member 192 has a recessed or downwardly stepped flange portion 204, the flange portion 204 having an auxiliary opening 206 defined therein. The secondary or secondary closure member 210 may be mounted to the flange portion 204 in substantially the same manner as the secondary closure member 136 is mounted to the recessed portion 132. An unobstructed flat central portion (labeled 208) of the substantially rigid member 192 defines a first region 212 of the member 192, and the recessed flange portion 204 defines a second region 214 of the member 190. The first region 212, when exposed, defines a first working surface 216, and an object may be placed on the first working surface 216.

The assembly 190 also includes a second rigid member 220. Member 220 has a substantially flat central screen portion 222 bounded on three sides of its perimeter by planar outer reinforcement members or flanges, identified as first (or left), second (or back) and third (or right)

flanges

224, 225 and 226, respectively, which form continuous three-sided walls. The rear stiffener may be asymmetrical in cross-section with a longer outboard depending leg. Other stiffeners may also have the form of a channel section and may be used as retainers or retaining walls. While the out-of-plane stiffeners may have a variety of shapes, in the illustrated embodiment, the

components

224, 225, and 226 have the form of channel sections molded into the respective peripheries of the member 220. Another flange in the form of a channel section 230 may be formed along the front edge of web portion 222 and define a reinforcing edge or flange thereof. Outwardly projecting abutments or stops 232, 234 are shown at the front corners of the left and right side edges, respectively. The second member 220 or a central web portion thereof may be made of a see-through (i.e., transparent) material. The central web portion of the second member 220 defines another working surface 228. The working surface 228 is a movable working surface that is translatable between a first retracted or stored position in which the working surface 228 completely or substantially covers the first member 192 and a second extended or deployed position or state in which the working surface 228 less covers the member 192 and in which the second member 192 may be substantially or fully exposed, and further in which the member 220 or a major portion thereof is movable to the overhanging portion 182 in a cantilevered position and has a free edge extending beyond that portion. The working surface 228 may be an anvil surface, or a textured non-slip surface or a smooth surface, as the case may be, the working surface being constrained in each direction by a retainer.

The assembly 190 also includes a third member 240, which third member 240 is a retainer or cover plate, or closure member mounted to the back of the hat-shaped cross-sectional portion of the three-sided U-shaped wall of the member 192, which vertically retains the member 220 in a sandwiched arrangement. The third member 240 may have the general shape of a picture frame, bezel, or edge bar extending around the perimeter of the second region 188 with a generally rectangular open central region 248 and through which (not necessarily rectangular, but could be some other suitable shape) the upper surface of the lower member (whether the lower member is the first member 192 or the second member 220) is exposed. The relationship of the second member 220 to the first and

third members

190, 240 results in a single degree of freedom of movement, in which case it can be translated in the y-direction parallel to the plane of the respective central webs of the first and

second members

190, 220. The interengagement or cooperation of the respective left and right flanges of the first and

second members

190, 210 defines a guide for them and their respective stops, the second member 210 nesting within the side flange of the first member 190. Movement in the forward direction is limited by engagement of the leading edge of the flange 230 of the member 220 with the rear or inner wall of the front flange 197 of the member 192, and sliding in the reverse direction is constrained, limited or prevented by interengagement of the

stops

200 and 202 of the fixed member 192 and the

stops

232, 234 of the movable member 220.

When viewed from above, member 240 may closely conform to and have substantially the same footprint as the U-shaped three-sided stiffening wall of component 190, the width of member 240 at least partially overlaps the left and right flanges of member 220 inwardly along the left and right edges and thus vertically grips the left and right flanges of member 220 so that the mating relationship of the left and right portions 236, 238 of member 240 with the vertical space of the hat-shaped cross-section of the side stiffener of component 190 is such that the slidably interengaging side edge stiffeners of member 220 act as rails, paths or tracks. The member 240 has a forwardly biased projection or bend (indicated by reference numeral 244) on its rear edge 242 which cooperates with a corresponding rearwardly biased bend 246 in the rear edge of the member 220 to enable operation of a handle defined by the portion 246 of the rear edge flange 226 of the member 224 which is exposed when the member 220 is in the closed or retracted position shown in fig. 6 e. When in the closed position, the member 220 covers and conceals the auxiliary closure member 210. When operation is required, the member 220 can be moved to its extended position, as shown in figure 6 d.

In the extended position shown in fig. 6a and 6e, the member 220 is cantilevered. It may extend over portion 186 to (or even past) hinge 62. Portion 186 may support member 220 with hinge 62 acting as a fulcrum or reaction point for the cantilever. The engagement of the leading edge flange 230 of member 220 with the trailing edge of member 240 across edge portion 242 provides a reaction moment. The member 240 may have a substantially rectangular opening 248 defined therein to allow access to the auxiliary opening 206 when the member 240 is in the extended position, and also to allow access to the upwardly facing working surface 212 of the member 192. Additionally, when the member 220 is in the closed, retracted or storage position shown in FIG. 2e, the working surface 228 is accessible through the opening 248. Thus, in the deployed position, the total available working surface area includes both the region 212 and the working surface 228, while in the closed position, the total available working surface area includes only the working surface 228. Such a combined table top may provide an appropriately sized area for preparing food or beverages, or for eating, during picnic or other picnic activities.

In another alternative as shown in fig. 7a-7l, an expanded or expandable work surface assembly 260 may be mounted to a rear wall panel of a container assembly 258, which container assembly 258 may be substantially similar to the body 22 of the soft-sided insulated container assembly 20. The work surface assembly 260 may be a folding assembly made of

rigid members

262, 264, 266, 268, 270, and 272. The storage location or state retention element is identified as 274. The member 274 may be in the form of an elastic band, strip or cord having first and second ends mounted at suitable convenient locations, for example in the lower region of the

container end walls

46, 48 of the main body 22, possibly at or near the point of engagement with the insulated rear wall. The left and right side mounting fittings are identified as

clips

276 and 278 respectively. The

clips

276 and 278 can be moved from the locked position as shown in fig. 7e and 7j to the unlocked position by lifting the slightly raised lift tabs or end

bars

277, 279, causing them to pivot on their pivots 275 to the lifted disengaged position, thereby allowing movement of the various other components. When the assembly 260 has been moved to its open or deployed position, the

clips

276, 278 pivot in the other direction and return to their secured or locked position. When the assembly 260 is folded, the process is reversed.

In one embodiment, the work surface assembly 260 may be made from a single sheet 276 with folds and cuts or apertures 278 as shown in FIG. 7d, in addition to metal retainers such as

clips

276, 278 and retaining element 274. The single fold between

parts

262 and 264 is shown as hinge 263; the bi-folded layer between

sections

264 and 266 is shown as hinge 265; the bi-fold layer between

members

262 and 268 is shown at hinge 267; the bi-folded layer between

components

268 and 270 is shown as hinge 269; the bi-folded layer between

components

270 and 272 is shown as hinge 271.

In figures 7a and 7j it can be seen that in the collapsed or folded condition, an extension of the work surface of the pallet or table top in the form of a rigid member 264 is adjacent to its respective post member which is adjacent and substantially parallel to the rear panel 256 of the assembly 258 and the work surface extension is held in this position by the clips 276,278 and the retainer 274. When a work surface is required, the retainer and clip can be released from the secured position shown in figure 7e, so that member 264 can be lifted upwardly and outwardly in the curved path shown in figure 7f, while member 262 is pivoted upwardly and outwardly on hinge 263. When this is done, the first strut member 266 is released and lowered or slid downwardly, the aperture 278 slides downwardly along the strut portion 270, the strut portion 270 itself can swing or flex outwardly on the hinge 279 to a certain extent until the

members

266 and 270 are locked to each other and can no longer rotate outwardly, while the distal end of the member 266 abuts against the hinge 269, thereby defining a strut that supports the distal edge of the member 264. The rigid base plate 268 maintains the spacing between the hinge 267 and the hinge 269 to which the member 262 is attached. In the final position of fig. 7g, panel 264 has been rotated to a right angle position relative to panel 262, and panel 262 is now lying flat parallel to

members

268, 270 and 272. Since the working surface of the member 264 is exposed even in the closed position, a wall or flange can be formed in its side edge, if desired, without interfering with the function of the device, and a wall or lip can be mounted across the distal end of the member 264 near the hinge 265. In the position of fig. 7l, the

clips

276, 278 can be rotated laterally inward and downward on their pivot pins 282 to hold the member 262, and thus the proximal end of the member 264, against the wall. A pivot pin 282 may pass through a hole 284 in the member 268 and protrude to act as a stop for the rear side of the member 262. In the reverse process, when the clip is released, the member 266 may be squeezed toward the member 264 and the structure will fold with the groove 286 becoming a clearance slot for the pin 282.

There are other ways to construct a collapsible or expandable shelf structure. An alternative is shown in figures 7m and 7 n. The collapsible folding shelf assembly is generally shown at 290. It includes a substantially rigid member 292 defining a working surface, the rigid member 292 being structurally different from the member 220 in that it has a hinge 294 at a proximal edge and a flanged edge around three other sides to increase rigidity. Although fig. 7m is a partial cross-sectional view, the full extent of the rigid member 292 is shown by broken dashed lines. The rigid member 292 is a movable flap. The assembly 290 also includes two movable wings, arms or supports 296, 298 which, when swung outwardly, can support the member 292 in its deployed or open position, when swung inwardly, can lie flat against the rear wall of the insulating structure, said

supports

296, 298 nesting within the profile of the member 292 when the movable flap is in its lowered or closed position. The soft-sided collapsible insulated container assembly may include a substantially rigid lid assembly of container assembly 20 and an auxiliary shelf assembly, such as folding shelf assembly 260. In this case, in the collapsed state, the substantially rigid cover portion may lie against the front wall of the folding assembly and the rigid folding shelf assembly may lie substantially flat against the rear wall. Other collapsible shelf arrangements are possible, whether using telescoping members or eccentric arms or other means.

In the embodiments of fig. 7a-7l and 7m-7n, the working surface can be deployed or retracted without obstructing access to the secondary closure member of the lid 32. In contrast, in fig. 6a-6h, the secondary closure member 210 is blocked when the member 220 is in the closed position. Thus, the embodiment of fig. 7a-7n provides a temporary foldable work surface that can provide a substantially flat and horizontal object placement position without obstructing access to the secondary closure member, i.e., the secondary closure member remains unobstructed regardless of whether the work surface is unfolded.

In the embodiment of fig. 8a-8h, a collapsible soft-sided insulated container or container assembly 300 is provided that is substantially similar to the container assembly 20 of fig. 1b and can be considered identical in terms of basic soft-sided insulated container structure and features unless otherwise noted.

The container or container assembly 300 includes a first portion 302 and a second portion 304. The first portion 302 may be referred to as a base or body portion and may have an upstanding soft-sided insulating wall structure 306, the soft-sided insulating wall structure 306 defining a chamber 310 therein, the chamber 310 containing an object that may need to be kept in a cold or warm state. In general, the soft-sided insulating wall structure 306 may include a bottom, floor or lower wall 308 that is often rectangular. Each of the front, rear, left and right side panels may be mounted around a respective edge of the base panel and erected upwardly from the base panel, the base panel and each side panel defining a five sided bin.

The second portion 304 may include or may be a closure member or top plate or cover 312, such as may be connected to the first or body portion 302 by a hinge 318. As previously described, when the container assembly 300 is in the expanded position, the lid 312 is movable between an open position and a closed position and controls access to the chamber 310. As with assembly 20, the cap 312 of assembly 300 also has a first portion (identified as proximal portion 314) and a second portion (identified as distal portion 316). The proximal portion 314 is hingedly connected to an upper edge of the rear panel of the vertical wall structure. The distal portion 316 is distal from the hinge connection as indicated by reference numeral 318 and thus distal from the rear of the container assembly 300. A track-type fastener (e.g., a zipper) may extend around the remaining edge of the cover 312 so as to be releasably secured to right, front, and left portions of the upper periphery of the body portion 302.

In the collapsed position, state or configuration, the front panel is moved towards the rear panel and the cover is wrapped over the folded lower body portion. To this end, the proximal portion 314 is flexible, foldable or bendable so as to bend over the main body portion 302, and then so that the distal portion 316 is in front of the front wall of the device. The device may then be secured in the folded, collapsed or storage configuration by a securing fitting in the nature of a strap 308, such as may be provided with suitable hook-and-eye fabric fasteners.

The cover 312 may have a length L measured from the back wall panel to the front wall panel₃₁₂. The proximal portion of the cap assembly may have a rear-to-front length, which is designated L₃₁₄Shown. The distal portion may have a length from posterior to anterior, theLength is L₃₁₆Shown. Although the proximal portion of the cap of assembly 20 is relatively limited in size, the length L of proximal portion 314₃₁₄Can be greater than L₃₁₂And may be greater than L in one embodiment₃₁₂3/4 of (1).

The distal portion 316 includes a hard fitting 320. The hard fittings 320 may extend along the front edge or the edge furthest from the hinge connection. In contrast to the above-described table top rigid panels, by which it is generally desirable to obtain as large a working surface as possible, the rigid fitting 320 may extend less than the length L of the cover 312₃₁₂1/3 of (1). The hard fittings 320 may have a platform or mounting array, or peripheral flange 322, by which the hard fittings 320 are affixed or adhesively secured to the adjacent fabric material. More generally, the flange 322 may be located in a predominant position on the cover after installation.

The hard fitting 320 may have a first receptacle 324, which may be a rigid molded drinking recess or socket 326. Socket 326 may include a deep bore 328 that extends downwardly into hard fitting 320 to a bottom or lower wall 330 at a height that is less than the height of flange 322 so that an object placed in deep bore 328 has a sunken, or more generally partially sunken, position relative to cap 312. The socket 326 may have a circular and cylindrical sidewall 332 or may have a tapered or tapered upward opening and may have a diameter comparable to the diameter of a beverage can, such as a 2-3/4 "diameter, a 3" diameter, or the like. In other words, when the container 320 is in its expanded state and the lid 312 is in place, the bottom of the deep well is in a position that depends from the height of the lid and extends inwardly into the chamber 310. The receptacle 324 may have a continuous film or wall defining the bottom or inner wall of the socket that does not leak, drip, or drain water into the chamber 310.

The receptacle 324 may also have an outwardly projecting retainer, which may be an outwardly projecting wall, and may be an outwardly or upwardly extending extension 346 of the sidewall of the socket 326. The extension 346 may extend upwardly or outwardly from the level of the flange 322 and, more generally, may extend from the approximate level of the surface of the main panel or cover 312. In this manner, the receiving portion 324 extends inwardly into the flange 322 and outwardly from the flange 322.

The hard fitting 320 may extend along the front edge of the lid 312 away from the hinge. The receiving portion 324 may be a drinking notch fitting located at one end of the hard fitting 320, and thus is located generally at the corner of the cap 312. The hard fitting 320 may have a second receptacle 334 at a distal end, and the second receptacle 334 may be located at another corner of the cover 312. There may be an intermediate portion 336 extending between the first and second receptacles. The front and rear walls (or perimeter, channel, or flange) may bound the intermediate portion 336 on either of the front and rear sides (as indicated by reference numerals 338, 340), thereby defining the edges of the fitting 320. These channels or

flanges

338, 340 provide the hard fitting 320 with a cross-sectional depth such that the hard fitting 320 acts as a beam, providing bending and lateral stiffness to the front edge of the cover 320. The hard fitting 320 has an unusually large thickness range. The channels or

flanges

338, 340 may be spaced apart by a distance generally corresponding to the diameter of the sockets of the first and

second receptacles

324, 334, and may be generally tangent to, or fit along a smooth curve into, the upwardly extending circular retainer portions of the

sockets

324 and 334.

The proximal portion 314 may have an inlet 340 defined therein. The portal 342 may be a zipperless portal. The access opening 342 may include a movable closure panel, door or flap 344, for example, the closure panel, door or flap 344 may be movable between closed and open positions to allow a user to access the chamber 310 and remove beverages and the like. More generally, the beverage may be opened and then placed into one of the

receptacles

324, 334 along the front wall of the cooling device. The closure panel 344 may be an insulated soft-sided configuration substantially the same as or similar to the configuration of the side and rear panel walls of the proximal portion 314 or the body portion 302 of the cover 312. The closure panel 344 may be flexible or bendable such that the panel 344 flexes with the cover 312 when the cover 312 is moved to a collapsed position, state or configuration and wrapped over the collapsed body portion 302.

The closure panel 344 may be generally rectangular and may occupy a majority of the area of the proximal portion 314. The closure panel 344 may be hingedly attached to the proximal portion 314. The hinge attachment may be at or near the rear edge of the lid 312. Closure panel 344 may be centered along the rear edge. The closure panel 344 may be open to the hard fitting 320, i.e., the free edge of the closure panel 344 is closest to the rear edge of the hard fitting 320, or is adjacent or contiguous with the rear edge of the hard fitting 320.

The container assembly 320 may have a secondary container assembly, compartment, housing or wall structure 350 mounted to the front wall of the front panel 320. The auxiliary container assembly 350 may be insulated or non-insulated. The auxiliary container assembly 350 may be expandable or collapsible, in an in-use, expanded or expanded state as seen in fig. 8a, and in a collapsed or retracted position behind the wrapped distal portion 316 of the cap 312 as seen in fig. 8 b. The container assembly 320 may also have a securing member 352, such as a latch, strap, or releasable fastener mounted to its rear wall. The fixture 352 may then be releasably used to fasten or otherwise mount the rear panel of the container to the telescoping rear handle of the wheeler or other frame.

In the embodiment of fig. 11a, 11b and 11c, another collapsible insulated container or container assembly 360 is provided, the insulated container or container assembly 360 being similar to the collapsible insulated container assembly 300. It should be noted that container assembly 360 is provided in association with a roller car 370 to which a container (e.g., container assembly 320) may be mounted, with the floor or lower wall of the container assembly resting on the floor or bottom of the roller car, and the rear plate or wall being attached to the vertical handle shaft of the telescoping towing handle by fasteners 352.

Assembly 360 differs from assembly 320 in that cap 362 has a proximal region or portion 364 and a distal portion 366. The lid 362 is releasably secured in place by a releasable closure securing member 368, which releasable closure securing member 368 may be a zipper. In this case, the cover 362 is generally the main closure member or inlet member of the assembly 360. There is also a secondary closure member or access member, identified as inset panel 372, hingedly mounted along the rear edge of the lid 362 and opening out toward the distal portion 366, as previously described. In this case, the distal portion 366 has a rigid member or hard fitting 374. It should be noted that the hard fitting 374 has two

receptacles

376, 378 as previously described, spaced apart from one another and located at opposite front corners of the cover 362. However, they are connected by a single channel or hat section bar 380 that is generally centrally located, rather than by two spaced apart channel section bars as in assembly 300 and with an intermediate container for holding snacks or other objects. Further, the leading edge or edge 382 of the distal portion 364 is curved and the trailing edge or edge 384 of the distal portion 366 (and the hard fitting 374) is similarly curved to generally conform to the leading edge of the larger curved opening of the recessed inlet panel 372.

The alternative embodiments of fig. 11d, 11c and 11e can be understood to have substantially the same or the same structure as the embodiment of fig. 11a, unless otherwise specified. In each case, the soft-sided container assembly is collapsible and may be adapted to be mounted to a cart 370.

The container assembly 400 of fig. 11d is provided with a top panel hardfitting 402 and a middle hardfitting 404 mounted to a secondary wall structure 406 of the front wall. The hard fitting 404 and the secondary wall structure 406 may be substantially the same as shown and described in the mid-retaining fitting of co-pending U.S. patent application 14/793,063 filed on 7/2015, which is incorporated herein by reference. That is, the wall structure 406 may be collapsible to move the hard fitting 404 to a retracted or collapsed state. Hard fitting 404 may be the same as shown in this patent application, or may be similar or substantially the same as hard fitting 320 or 374 shown and described herein. It may include a container, receptacle or socket, or

beverage holder

410, 412. The hard fitting 404 may include an intermediate portion or web, or floor or portion 414 extending between the

receptacles

410, 412, and may have a front retainer or wall, or member, or rib, or lip, or perimeter, or channel or flange 416, e.g., to prevent objects from sliding off of the portion 414. In this way, a storage location or work surface or shelf suitable for holding condiments, cutlery, paring knives, bottle openers and the like can be formed. The hard fitting 404 may also have a rear retainer or retaining wall, or rib or channel or flange, etc., as indicated at 418. The

components

418 and 416 may be substantially identical and may be symmetrically arranged in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. Either or both of which may function as ribs, stiffeners or stiffeners. Hard fitting 404 may have a slightly smaller front-to-back dimension than hard fitting 402 because secondary wall structure 406 may have a smaller depth than hard fitting 402.

In the alternative embodiment of fig. 11e, container assembly 420 is substantially identical to

assemblies

320 and 400, but differs from assembly 400 in that it has a middle or lower hard fitting 404, rather than an upper fitting, assembly 420 may have a substantially flat working surface, shown as hard fitting 422. The fitment 422 may have a peripheral retainer or retaining wall, shown as a rim 424, or a rim or lip. In one embodiment, the rim 424 may be lower than the retaining wall or rim or lip of the flange 416. In one embodiment, it may be less than half the height. However, as previously described, in

assemblies

320 and 400, the longitudinal distance of the hard fitting 422 in the top or cover plate 426 is less than half the distance from the rear hinge to the front wall. That is, most of the cover generally retains the soft-sided insulation structure of the bag and thus may be flexible, rolling or folding around the lower body of the assembly in the collapsed condition. In one embodiment, the depth in the front-to-back direction may correspond to the width of a piece of bread, approximately 6 mm to 15 mm, or 1/4 inches to 5/8 inches, and typically approximately 1/2 inches or 10-12 mm. However, the hard fitting 422 may still provide a relatively flat working surface on which objects may be placed or cut, such as fruit, cheese or deli.

In another alternative of fig. 11f, the container assembly 430 is substantially identical to

assemblies

320 and 400, but has the opposite arrangement to assembly 420 of fig. 11e, i.e., having a rigid or reinforcing member in the lid for holding the beverage and a rigid or reinforcing member in the central tray without a beverage socket or drinking recess. That is, the central hard fitting 432 defines a containment or central tray region or portion that may be partially or fully bounded by a perimeter wall or rim or lip 434. The tray may protrude into the underlying housing in the manner of a deep hole 328. It may have a flat bottom and, depending on the height of the walls, may provide a cutting surface. In another embodiment, the perimeter wall may be taller, perhaps more than a half inch, to form a support for cutting vegetables (e.g., carrots or celery) or for cutting lemons, limes or other slices. For example, it may also be used as a tray for holding condiments or tableware.

In the embodiment of fig. 12a, a soft side cooling device assembly 440 is provided, for example as may be understood to be the same or substantially the same as in USSN 14/793,063 filed on 7.7.2015, the examples and description of which are incorporated herein by reference. Unless otherwise stated, the assembly 440 can be understood to have the same construction features as described herein above. The container assembly 440 may be manufactured in different configurations that may include a stiffening member in the lid, or a stiffening member in the middle, or both, as previously described. The assembly 440 may include a reinforcing member or work surface member 442 as shown in fig. 12b, 12c and 12 d. It can be seen that the member 442 comprises first and second ends 444, 446, with deep holes or sockets, or beverage holders or drinking recesses 448, 450 at the first and second ends 444, 446 respectively, connected by an intermediate web portion 452. The middle web portion 452 can be substantially flat and can define a working surface in the middle of the beverage holder. The web portion 452 may lie in the same or substantially the same plane P as the surrounding mounting or connecting flange 454₄₅₂And (4) the following steps. As shown, the member 442 has a peaked peripheral wall 456, the peripheral wall 456 protruding out of the plane P₄₅₂Outward, outward distance by dimension or height h₄₅₆Shown. The peaked peripheral wall 456 may be a hollow section profile, i.e., it may be a hat-section or a channel-section profile.

Recesses

448, 450 have well bottoms 458 that project inwardly into a sunken or concave relationship with web portions 452, an inward distance h₄₅₈Shown. It can be noted that the deep hole has an inward portionA complete perimeter wall 460, the perimeter wall 460 defining a retainer that prevents movement in any direction within the plane of mesh panel portion 452. In contrast, the peaked peripheral wall extends around the outer semicircle, but not around the inner semicircle. The manner of fixing to the main structure is shown in fig. 12d, where the fabric attachment 464 is sewn by an external outwardly extending flange and for example also onto the front wall of the vertical insulating wall structure of the body of the container assembly 440. The member 442 may also be mounted in the cover 468 in the same or similar manner as described above.

In the embodiment of fig. 13a, 13b and 13c, there is a reinforcing member 470, the reinforcing member 470 being substantially similar to the member 442. However, in addition to the outer peripheral wall 456, the member 470 also has spaced apart inner walls 472, the inner walls 472 extending in a spaced apart parallel manner relative to the front or outermost section 474 of the wall 456, forming a deep hole, socket, base, shelf, ledge, holder, foot, step or receptacle 476 in which, for example, the lower edge of a portable electronic communication device (e.g., an I-pad (t.m.)) is received. The receptacle itself may have an internal step, ledge or turntable 478 so that the receptacle 476 has a wider dimension or base 480 to receive wider devices and also a narrower dimension or base 482 to receive narrower devices. As shown, the rear or inner wall 484 can be sloped such that the device disposed therein can have a degree of tilt or recline such that the device is somewhat sloped or reclined. More generally, the receptacle 476 can have a depth that extends inwardly beyond the plane of the mounting flange of the reinforcing member and can extend the same distance as the beverage receiving aperture.

In the embodiment of fig. 14a, 14b and 14c, the reinforcing member 490 is the same as or substantially similar to the member 470, but instead of using a channel-section profile, the peripheral wall 492 and the retaining wall 494 are separate net panels.

In the embodiment of fig. 15a, 15b, 15c and 15d, a soft-sided insulated container assembly 500 is provided that is substantially identical to container assembly 300 or assembly 440 except that instead of having full width stiffeners or work surface members, assembly 500 employs one or more rigid fittings 502, such as a centrally located spreader, for exampleAt the corners of the lid (as shown in fig. 15 a), or at the corners of the main lid (similar to that shown in fig. 8 a). Left corner fitting 504 may be identical to right corner fitting 506, requiring only a single mold to be used. Each corner fitting has a main flange 510 that lies in the plane of an adjacent net panel (middle or main cover), and extends outwardly (i.e., typically upwardly) from flange 510 a distance h₅₁₂And a raised peripheral retaining wall 512 and a plane P from the flange 510₅₁₀Sink inwardly for a certain distance h₅₁₄Deep and

well bottoms

514, 516. As with the other embodiments, the inward distance of the deep hole of the beverage holder may correspond to or be slightly deeper than the thickness of the underlying insulating fabric wall, or, if there is no underlying wall, to or slightly greater than the thickness of the insulating layer of the vertical side wall. The height of the vertical retaining wall is typically greater than the depth of the countersink, so that most of the retaining depth is above or outside the plane of the flange.

As described above, the flanges 510 provide a stitched attachment interface by which corresponding corner fittings can be secured to the fabric or corner or edge seams or battens of the cladding. At least one edge or region or portion 518 of the flange 510 may be rounded to follow or set the curvature of the corner of the panel and that portion of the container. In one embodiment, two opposing curved portions 518 may be used, such that the fitting has two diagonally opposing sharp corners. Although embodiments of the container assembly 500 lack fully extended lateral hard plastic mesh panels, the structure can still be somewhat stiffened with stiffened corner fittings.

In summary, the insulated container assembly may have a rigid fitment with a receptacle or recess or socket, for example for receiving a beverage, or the rigid fitment may have a flat working surface, or may define a tray or water collection device with a peaked peripheral wall. The cover may have a hard fitting with any of these features. The container assembly may have a single hard fitting, for example a hard fitting that may extend along the front or distal edge of the lid. Alternatively, the assembly may have a hard fitting in the lid and a central hard fitting mounted to the front of the device in the front auxiliary container structure. One of the hard fittings may be a drinking recess fitting having one drinking recess or more than one drinking recess.

Each embodiment may also have a rearwardly deployable table top or work surface that may be used, for example, alone or in combination with a cap work surface or drinking recess.

The embodiments shown and described above illustrate a number of non-limiting examples that employ the principles of the present invention. Other embodiments may be made which employ the principles of the present invention and fall within the scope of the appended claims. Features of the various embodiments may be mixed and matched in a suitable manner (i.e., combined) in so far as the features of the examples are not mutually exclusive, which features may be interchanged for each possible combination or permutation, without further elaboration on this. The invention is not limited to the specific examples or details described herein by way of example, but rather the scope of the invention is limited only by the claims. The claims are to be accorded the doctrine of equivalents to include equivalents.

While various embodiments are illustrated and described herein, the principles of the invention are not limited to these specific examples, which are intended to be illustrative only and not limiting.

Claims

1. A soft-sided insulated container comprising:

a soft-sided insulation body defining an insulation chamber therein;

a cover having a proximal portion hingedly mounted to the rear of the soft-sided insulation body;

the soft-sided proximal portion is not rigid;

the cover has a distal portion furthest from the rear portion;

the distal portion having a rigid fitting extending therealong;

the rigid fitting comprises at least one rigid socket;

said socket having a deep hole projecting inwardly from said cap;

the socket has a retaining member arranged around the socket and extending outwardly from the cover.

2. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 1, wherein the rigid fitment defines a leading edge of the distal portion furthest from the rear portion.

3. The soft-sided insulated container of any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the rigid fitment has a substantially flat web defining a rigid forward extending portion of the proximal portion, the deep hole of the socket projects inwardly from the web, and the retainer projects outwardly of the web.

4. The soft-sided insulation container of claim 1 or 2, wherein the socket is a first socket, the distal portion having a second socket; and the rigid fitting includes a substantially flat central web extending between the first and second sockets.

5. The soft-sided insulation container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein:

the cover is releasably secured to the soft-sided insulating body by a first closure member operable to allow the cover to move between an open position and a closed position; and

the cap has a second closure member defined therein intermediate a proximal portion thereof.

6. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 5, wherein the second closure member is a zipper-less closure.

7. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 5, wherein the second closure member comprises a soft-sided panel hingedly mounted within the proximal portion.

8. The soft-sided insulation container of claim 1 or 2, wherein the body is collapsible and the proximal portion is foldable thereon when the body is collapsed.

9. The soft-sided insulation container according to claim 8, wherein a soft-sided closing member is installed in the middle of the proximal portion, the soft-sided closing member being foldable together with the proximal portion.

10. The soft-sided insulating container according to claim 8, wherein a soft-sided closing member is installed in the middle of the proximal portion, the soft-sided closing member being open to the rigid fitting.

11. A soft-sided insulated container comprising:

a soft-sided insulating body defining an insulated chamber therein, and a lid hingedly mounted to the soft-sided insulating body, the lid being movable between an open position and a closed position relative to the insulated chamber;

a fastener by which the lid may be releasably retained in the closed position;

the body is movable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration;

the lid is hingedly connected to the rear of the body and is foldable over the body when the body is in the collapsed configuration such that a distal portion of the lid extends in front of the body;

the distal portion of the cover comprises a rigid member extending along an edge furthest from the rear of the body;

the rigid member has at least one retainer defined therein, the retainer including a rigid deep hole projecting inwardly relative to the insulated chamber when the cover is secured in the closed position, and a peripheral rim projecting beyond the cover.

12. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 11, wherein the cover has an embedded access panel mounted between the rigid member and the rear portion.

13. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 12, wherein the recessed access panel is soft-sided and has a zipper-free closure.

14. The soft-sided insulation container of any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the rigid member has two of the holders, and an intermediate mesh panel extending therebetween.

15. The soft-sided insulated container of any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the cover has a proximal portion closest to the rear of the body.

16. A soft-sided insulated container comprising:

a soft-sided insulation body defining an insulation chamber therein;

the soft-sided proximal portion is not rigid;

the cover has a distal portion furthest from the rear portion;

the distal portion having a rigid fitting extending therealong;

the rigid fitment occupies a small portion of the lid.

17. The soft-sided insulation container of claim 16, wherein the rigid fitment comprises a drinking notch.

18. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 17, wherein the rigid fitting includes a portion coplanar with the lid, a first portion of the drinking recess extends from the lid, and a second portion of the drinking recess includes a deep hole extending from the lid.

19. A soft-sided insulated container comprising:

a first portion of the container and a second portion of the container;

the first portion having a soft-sided insulating wall structure defining an insulating chamber therein;

the insulated chamber of the first portion of the container has an upwardly facing opening;

the first portion of the container having a cover mounted thereon, the cover being movable between an open position and a closed position to control access to the thermally insulated chamber;

the lid having a hard fitting on which an object is placed when the lid is in the closed position;

the lid is mounted to a rear edge of the soft-sided insulating wall structure of the first portion of the container;

the second portion of the container including a secondary wall structure mounted in front of the first portion of the container, the secondary wall structure defining a second chamber for containing objects, the secondary wall structure having bottom upstanding side walls, a front wall and a top;

the top of the secondary wall structure comprises a substantially rigid working surface mounted to a front edge of the first portion of the soft-sided insulating wall structure distal from the rear edge, the substantially rigid working surface being positioned away from the opening of the insulating compartment of the first portion of the container and away from the lid of the first portion of the container;

the substantially rigid work surface extending forwardly from the first portion of the container and facing substantially upwardly to provide a support interface on which an object is placed; and

the substantially rigid work surface is located below the opening of the insulated compartment of the first portion of the container.

20. The soft-sided insulation container of claim 19,

the second portion of the container has a first position and a second position;

the second position of the second portion of the container corresponds to a collapsed position of the second portion of the container; and is

The cover of the first portion of the container at least partially conceals the substantially rigid working surface of the second portion of the container when both the first and second portions of the container are collapsed.

21. The soft-sided insulation container of claim 19,

said substantially rigid work surface having a beverage holder deep bore defined therein;

the substantially rigid surface being stepped downward a first distance from the opening; the beverage holder deep hole has a depth of a second distance; and is

The sum of the first distance and the second distance is at least 4 inches; and the first distance is at least half the second distance.

22. The soft-sided insulation container of claim 19,

said first portion of said soft-sided insulating wall structure having a bottom wall and four side peripheral walls upstanding substantially upwardly from said bottom wall thereby forming an open-topped five-sided substantially box-like housing;

the cover defines a sixth side of the housing and has four side shapes corresponding to the four side peripheral walls;

a first side of the four side perimeter walls defines a rear side of the first section, the rear side having an upper edge remote from the bottom wall;

a second side of the four side perimeter walls defines a front side of the first section, the front side of the first section being opposite the back side;

the lid is hingedly mounted to the upper edge of the rear side;

the second portion is collapsible;

said substantially rigid working surface of said second portion of said container is hingedly connected to said front side of said first portion of said container along a stepped downward edge relative to said opening of said first portion of said container; and

the substantially rigid work surface of the first portion has a retainer for preventing movement of an object relative to the substantially rigid work surface.

23. The soft-sided insulation container of claim 22,

the substantially rigid work surface is movable between a deployed position for supporting an object and a stored position;

the second portion of the container is collapsible and the storage portion of the working surface corresponds to a collapsed position of the second portion of the container;

the holder is a beverage holder comprising a deep hole extending into the second portion of the container;

The first distance is at least half the second distance.

24. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 19, having a rearwardly hinged lid and a flip-top table top.

25. A soft-sided insulated container comprising:

a first portion and a second portion of the container;

said first portion of said container having a soft-sided insulating wall structure defining an insulating chamber therein;

the insulated chamber having an upwardly facing opening;

said first portion of said container of said soft-sided insulating wall structure having a front side and a back side;

said cover being attached to said back side of said first portion of said soft-sided insulating wall structure;

the second part of the container is mounted on the front side of the soft-sided insulating wall structure of the first part of the container;

the second portion of the container having a top wall member, a front wall member, a bottom wall member, a left side wall member and a right side wall member;

said top wall member of said second portion of said container having a substantially rigid working surface;

said substantially rigid working surface of said top wall of said second portion of said soft-sided insulated container is positioned in front of and distal from said upwardly facing opening of said insulated compartment of said first portion of said soft-sided insulated container.

26. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 25, wherein the top wall member of the second portion comprises a hardened molded plastic material; the hardened molded plastic material of the top wall member has a peripheral flange and has at least one beverage holder socket formed therein.

27. The soft-sided insulating container of claim 25, wherein the substantially rigid working surface of the second portion of the container is stepped downward relative to the opening of the insulating chamber of the first portion of the container.

28. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 27, wherein the substantially rigid working surface has a deep drinking hole; the drinking deep hole has an opening with a diameter; the drinking deep hole has a depth that is at least half the diameter; and the substantially rigid working surface of the second portion of the container is stepped downward a step distance from the opening of the first portion of the container; and the step distance and the depth sum is more than twice the diameter of the drinking deep hole.

29. The soft-sided insulation container of claim 25, wherein:

the top wall member of the second portion comprises a hardened molded plastic material;

said hardened molded plastic material of said top wall member having a peripheral flange and having at least one beverage holder socket formed therein;

the substantially rigid working surface of the second portion of the container extends forwardly a first distance away from the first portion of the container and steps downwardly a second distance from the opening of the first portion of the container, the second distance being at least one third of the first distance;

the second portion of the container having a closure member located beneath the top wall member, the closure member being operable to control access to the second portion of the container;

the second portion of the container comprises an upstanding wall member having an upper peripheral edge;

said top wall member of said second portion of said container having a peripheral edge that mates with said peripheral edge of the front rim;

the closure member is a rail-type fastener releasably joining the peripheral edge of the top wall member to the peripheral edge of the upper edge of the upright wall member of the second portion of the container.

30. The soft-sided insulation container of claim 25, wherein:

said soft-sided insulating wall structure of said first section having a bottom wall and four side peripheral walls upstanding substantially from said bottom wall to form a five-sided open-topped substantially box-shaped housing;

a first side of said four side perimeter walls defining said rear side of said first section, said rear side having an upper edge remote from said bottom wall;

a second side of the four side perimeter walls defines the front side of the first section, the front side of the first section being opposite the back side;

the lid is hingedly mounted to the upper edge of the rear side;

said substantially rigid work surface defining an upper panel of said second portion of said container;

the second portion of the container has a lower wall structure including the front wall member, a left side wall member and a right side wall member;

said second portion of said container having an orbital fastener closure member releasably connecting said upper panel of said second portion of said container to said lower wall structure of said second portion of said container;

said substantially rigid work surface being hingedly connected to said front side of said first portion of said container along a stepped down edge relative to said opening of said first portion of said container; and

the substantially rigid work surface has a retainer for preventing movement of an object relative to the substantially rigid work surface.

31. A soft-sided insulated container comprising:

a soft-sided insulation body defining an insulation chamber therein;

the proximal portion of the cap is not rigid;

the cover has a distal portion furthest from the rear portion; the distal portion having a rigid fitting extending therealong;

the rigid fitting comprises at least one rigid socket;

said at least one rigid socket having a deep hole projecting inwardly from said cover; the at least one rigid socket has a retainer arranged around the socket and extending outwardly from the cover.

32. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 31, wherein the rigid fitment has a substantially flat web defining a rigid forward extending portion of the proximal portion, the deep hole of the at least one rigid socket projects inwardly from the web, and the retainer projects outwardly of the web.

33. The soft-sided insulation container of claim 31, wherein the at least one rigid socket is a first rigid socket, the distal portion having a second rigid socket; and the rigid fitting includes a substantially flat intermediate web extending between the first rigid socket and the second rigid socket.

34. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 31, wherein the lid is releasably secured to the soft-sided insulated body by a first closure member operable to allow the lid to move between an open position and a closed position; and the cap has a second closure member defined therein intermediate the proximal portion thereof.

35. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 31, wherein the body is collapsible and the proximal portion is foldable thereon when the body is collapsed.

36. The soft-sided insulation container of claim 31, wherein a soft-sided closure member is mounted intermediate the proximal portion, the soft-sided closure member being foldable with the proximal portion.

37. A soft-sided insulated container comprising:

a fastener by which the lid may be releasably retained in the closed position;

38. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 37, wherein the cover has an embedded access panel mounted between the rigid member and the rear portion.

39. The soft-sided insulated container of claim 37, wherein the cover has a proximal portion closest to the rear of the body, the proximal portion being flexible to fold over the body when the body is collapsed.

40. A soft-sided insulated container comprising: a soft-sided insulating body defining an insulating chamber therein; a cover having a proximal portion hingedly mounted to the rear of the soft-sided insulation body; the proximal portion of the cap is not rigid; the cover has a distal portion furthest from the rear portion; the distal portion having a rigid fitting extending therealong; the rigid fitment occupies a small portion of the lid.

41. The soft-sided insulation container of claim 40, wherein the rigid fitment comprises a drinking notch; the rigid fitment includes a portion coplanar with the lid, a first portion of the drinking recess extending outwardly from the lid; and a second portion of the drinking recess comprises a deep hole extending into the thermally insulated chamber protruding inwardly from the lid.