WO2014074098A1

WO2014074098A1 - Collapsible stadium seat

Info

Publication number: WO2014074098A1
Application number: PCT/US2012/064173
Authority: WO
Inventors: James C. Dimmitt
Original assignee: Dimmitt James C
Priority date: 2012-11-08
Filing date: 2012-11-08
Publication date: 2014-05-15

Abstract

A collapsible foldable cooler can be converted to a stadium seat by folding back a front wall to overlap the back wall and folding diagonally down the top portions of the sidewalls. Diagonal bracings secured to diagonally to the sidewalls and base belts extending along bottom of the sidewalls help retain the structure of the formed stadium seat.

Description

COLLAPSIBLE STADIUM SEAT

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to coolers, and more particularly to a portable cooler and seat combination that can be detachably positioned on a stadium bench and collapsed to form a stadium seat.

[0002] Conventional coolers are known in the art and generally consist of an insulated container for keeping food and beverages cool at an outdoor location. Typically, a cooler is formed of a rigid material that retains its shape to form a cooler chamber for the food and beverage items. Conventional coolers have a removable lid that provides access to the contents of the cooler and also serves as a makeshift seat when the cooler is closed. Such coolers are bulky and cumbersome, and the lid forms an uncomfortable seating. Besides, many stadiums and outdoor concert venues do not allow the spectators to bring in beverages in coolers for safety reasons.

[0003] However, many sport fans or concert goers enjoy having an outdoor picnic before the event. Tailgate parties have become popular in the United States as social gatherings events that take place in stadium and arena parking lots before a sports game or a concert. In many cases, the tailgate party participants bring their food and beverages in all sorts of coolers, ice chests, etc., which they have to load back into their vehicles before entering the arena. Sometimes, the parked vehicle is located quite a distance from the tailgate party location, making it a chore to return the cooler or ice chest to the distant car.

[0004] U.S. Patent No. 8,011,194 offers a solution to many of the above described problems. The Ί94 patent discloses a collapsible cooler that converts to a stadium seat, when empty. The cooler is converted into a seat by folding back a top lid and folding diagonally down the top portions of the sidewalls. The folded down top lid extends along the back wall, forming a part of a converted stadium seat backrest, while the sidewalls form the sides of the stadium seat. However, it was observed that the sides of the formed seat sometimes bend or fold when a user occupies the seat. Additionally, the top lid needed to be unzipped to give access to the interior of the cooler, which presented some disadvantages when the user wanted to remove only one item from the cooler without wasting the cool air.

[0005 There exists therefore a need to for a portable cooler that can be used in a stadium without breaking any of the venue regulations. Additionally, a need exists for a collapsible cooler that can be converted to a stadium seat in an easy, expeditious manner and form a comfortable seating for the user on a bleacher or other such stadium accommodation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a collapsible cooler that can be brought to a sporting event or a concert venue.

[0007] It is another object of the invention to provide a collapsible cooler that can be converted to a seat and detachably mounted on a stadium bench.

[0008] These and other objects of the invention are achieved through a provision of a collapsible cooler convertible to a stadium seat. The cooler has a flexible insulated padded shell formed by a front wall, a back wall, a pair of opposing sidewalls and a top lid pivotally secured to the back wall. The front wall is configured to fold down against an inner surface of the back wall, while the sidewalls have top portions being configured to fold down against bottom portions of the sidewalls along a diagonal line. When folded downwardly and inwardly, the sidewalls form the stadium seat sides, while the back wall and the front wall form the stadium seat base. [0009] Diagonal bracing members secured to the sidewalls and base belts secured along the bottom of the sidewalls help retain the shape of stadium seat and prevent its collapsing when the user occupies the stadium seat. The top lid has a smaller opening normally closed by a pivotal tab, which allows access to the interior of the shell without the necessity to lift up the entire lid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Reference will now be made to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals, and wherein

[0011] Figure 1 is a side view of the cooler apparatus of the present invention, with a handle in an extended position.

[0012] Figure 2 is a top view of the cooler apparatus of the present invention, with a handle in a retracted position and an open top flap.

[0013] Figure 3 is a front view of the cooler apparatus of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 4 is a rear view of the cooler apparatus of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating the cooler apparatus converted into a stadium seat.

[0016] Figure 6 is detail perspective view illustrating the engagement hooks mounted on the edge of a stadium bench.

[0017] Figure 7 is illustrates the cooler apparatus of the present invention being rolled by a user.

[0018] Figure 8 illustrates the cooler apparatus of the present invention being carried by a shoulder strap by a user. [0019] Figure 9 is a schematic view illustrating the cooler apparatus of the present invention converted into a stadium seat, with the handle in a retracted position.

[0020] Figure 10 is a schematic view illustrating the cooler apparatus of the present invention converted into a stadium seat, with the handle in an expanded position.

[0021] Figure 11 is side view showing the inner compartment of the cooler apparatus of the present invention.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Turning now to the drawings in more detail, numeral 10 designates the cooler apparatus of the instant invention. The cooler 10 has a six-sided collapsible body or shell that defines an inner chamber 11 suitable for storing food and/or beverages. The body or shell of the cooler 10 comprises a plurality of deformable insulated padded panels, including a first sidewall 12, a second sidewall 14, a top lid 16, a bottom wall 18, a front wall 20, and a rear wall 22. The shell can be formed from heavy duty 1000 D nylon or other suitable rip-resistant material. Heavy duty stitching can be used to secure the sidewalls, front and back, bottom and top panels together. A portion 17 of the top lid 16 overlaps an upper part of the front wall 20, as shown in Figure 3.

[0023] The top lid 16 is pivotally engaged with the back wall 22 and pivotally folds along a pivot line 19 downwardly and inwardly. When the cooler 10 is converted to a stadium seat the top lid 16 extends substantially vertically along the back wall 22 and forms a part of the stadium seat back.

[0024] A pair of rotating wheel sets 24 and 26 is attached to the rear wall 22 by respective wheel plates 25 and 27. The wheel plates 25 and 27 are fixedly secured to the rear wall 22 by a plurality of securing devices, such as for instance rivets 28. The wheel plate 25 supports a wheel bracket 30 having opposing sides, between which a wheel axle 32 is mounted. A similar bracket 34 carries an axle 36, about which the wheel set 26 rotates. The wheel brackets 30 and 34 are secured to the rear wall 22 and the bottom wall 18, as can be seen in Figure 11. The wheel axles 32 and 36 are shown in phantom lines in Figure 4. The wheel sets 24 and 26 rotate about the axles 32 and 36, respectively, when the cooler 10 is pulled or pushed by a user, as shown in Figure 7.

[0025] A pair of front stationary legs 40, 42 is secured at the bottom front corners of the bottom wall 18. When stationary the cooler 10 rests on horizontally aligned bottom surfaces of the wheel sets 24, 26 and the front legs 40, 42, as shown in Figure 3.

[0026] A retractable telescopically extendable handle 46 is fitted into a cage 48 attached to the rear wall 22. The handle 46 has two or more segments that telescopically engage in the cage 48 and extend into a position shown in Figure 1. The handle 46 has a pair of spaced rods 46a and 46b that are retained in a spaced- apart parallel relationship by a grip rod 47. When the cooler 10 is used as a stadium seat, the handle 46 can be extended to serve as a back and head support, as schematically shown in Figure 10. In this position, the spaced-apart parallel rigid rods 46a and 46b appear on opposite sides of the user's spine and do not cause any discomfort to the user.

[0027] A shoulder strap 49 is detachably secured to the side panels 12 and 14 using attachment rings 73. When not in use, the shoulder strap 49 is rolled and placed into one of the pockets 80, 82 secured on the back panel 22. When the user desires to carry the cooler 10 over the shoulder, the user unfurls the shoulder strap 49 and clips it to the side panels 12 and 14 using the attachment rings 73. The pockets 80, 82can be formed from the same material as the panels 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 or can be formed from a stretchable nylon or other suitable lightweight material. The cage 48 can be secured to the back wall 22 using rivets or screws 86.

[0028] Each of the pockets 80, 82 has a top opening, which is normally covered with a folding pocket flap 83, 85, respectively. The contents of the pockets 80, 82 are thus protected. Small items, such as tickets, maps, etc. can be conveniently placed in the back pockets 80, 82.

[0029] A pair of engagement hook assemblies, or clip assemblies 50, 51 is secured to the bottom wall 18 of the cooler body. Each clip assembly 50, 51 has an attachment plate 53, 54, respectively. Each of the attachment plates has a sleeve 55, 56, respectively which is disposed to receive a portion of a U-shaped hook or clip 57, 58, respectively. One leg of the U-shaped clip is fitted into the sleeve 55, 56 and is spring tensioned to keep the clips 57, 58 in a normally fold away position, substantially parallel to the bottom wall 18, as shown in Figure 1. The user pulls the clips 57, 58 against the force of the spring (not shown) forward to lower the hooks 57, 58 into a position ready for mounting. When the cooler 10 is used as a stadium seat, the clips 57, 58 engage an edge 52 of a stadium bench 59 to stabilize position of the cooler/stadium seat 10 on the bench.

[0030] As can be seen in Figure 5, the hook assemblies 50, 51 do not have to be aligned horizontally. If the bench 59 is narrow, then the hook assembly 50 is used for engaging the edge 52. However, if bench 59 is wider, then the forward clip assembly 51 can be used for engaging the edge 52.

[0031] In other embodiments, the clip assemblies 50, 51 can be horizontally aligned, as shown in Figure 6, allowing both clip assemblies 50, 51 to be used simultaneously. To remove the cooler 10 from the bench 54 the user removes the clip 57, 58 and allows the springs to pull back the clips 57, 58 into a folded away position below the bottom wall 18. [0032] The cooler apparatus 10 comprises has one or more rigid inner plates 60 disposed for positioning on the bottom wall 18 to provide solid support for the weight of the food placed in the cooler 10, as well as for a person seating in the converted seat. The inner plate 60 can be formed as a planar body that can be lowered in the interior chamber 11, as shown in phantom line in Figure 11, to cover the bottom of the cooler apparatus and provide rigidity to the bottom wall or panel 18. When the cooler body is folded, the inner plate 60 can be used to reinforce the seat or folded against one of the side panels when the cooler apparatus is not in use.

[0033] All wall panels of the apparatus 10 as well as the inner plate 60 are provided with an insulating layer to help keep the interior chamber 11 cool. Additionally, the bottom panel 18, the front panel 20 and the back panel 22 can be provided with additional padding for more comfortable seating. The insulating layer can be formed from a thermo plastic material.

[0034] A top access opening 62 is formed in the top cover or lid 16. The opening 62 can be rectangular or circular in configuration. A pivotally secured flap 64 is attached along a pivot line 68 to the exterior surface of the cover 16. The flap 64 normally covers the opening 62.

[0035] A strip of hook-and-loop fastener tape 63 is secured on the exterior surface of the top cover 16 about almost entire periphery of the opening 62. A matching strip of hook-and-loop fastener tape 65 is secured to an interior surface of the flap 64. A pull tab 67 is attached to a free edge 69 of the flap 67 allowing the user to pull apart engaged strips 63 and 65 and open the top access opening 62.

[0036] As can be seen in Figure 2, the top access opening 62 is large enough to allow the user to remove one or more items from the interior chamber 11 without lifting the entire cover 16. The user can take out a soda can, a sandwich or any other desired item by pulling the flap 64 into an open position. Some of the cool air inside the chamber 11 can escape through a small opening 62when the flap 64 is lifted but the cooler 11 will still retain most of the cool air.

[0037] A zipper 70 secures the top lid 16 to the sidewalls 12, 14 and the rear wall 22. The zipper 70 can be a heavy duty weatherized rubber coated zipper. The ends of the zipper 70 are provided with gripping members 72 to allow opening and closing of the zipper 70 for access to the interior chamber 11 of the cooler 10. Attachment rings 73 are secured to the side wall panels 12 and 14 adjacent back upper corners of the side panels 12 and 14. The attachment rings 73 serve as a means of detachably selectively securing the shoulder strap 49.

[0038] A front pocket 74 is formed on the front panel 20. The pocket 74 has an open top, which is normally covered by a downwardly extending flap portion 17 of the top lid 16. A hook- and-loop fastener strip 76 is secured on the inside surface of the flap portion 17, and a matching strip 78 is provided on the exterior surface of the front pocket 74. The strips 76and 78 are disposed for engagement when the flap portion 17 is in a downward position covering the open top of the pocket 74. The flap portion 17 also serves as a pull tab when lifting and pivotally moving the top lid 16 into an open position. The pocket 74 can be used for retaining small items, such as glasses, binoculars and the like.

[0039] A reinforcement base belt 90 is secured to extend along a bottom of the side panel 12. The base belt 90 is provided with an adjustable buckle 92, which allows to shorten or to extend the belt 90 and help in retaining the base shape of the cooler apparatus. A similar reinforcement base belt 94 extends along the bottom of the second side panel 14. An adjustable buckle 96, similarly to the buckle 92, allows the user to adjust the length of the base belt 94 and retain the shape of the cooler apparatus. The base belts 90 and 94 can be formed from non- stretchable material, for instance polyester webbing, and be pre-tensioned to follow the length of the base of the panels 12 and 14.

[0040] A diagonal bracing member 98 is secured to the side wall 12 to extend from an upper back corner 100 of the side panel 12 to a bottom front corner 102 of the side wall 12. The bracing 98 is provided with a buckle 104 allowing length adjustment of the bracing member 98. A similar diagonal bracing member 106 is secured to the side wall 14 and extends from an upper back corner 108 to a front bottom corner 110 of the side panel 14. An adjustable buckle 112 is provided for adjusting the length of the bracing 106.

[0041] The bracing members 98 and 106 can be formed from the same polyester web material as the base belts 90 and 94. The bracing members 98 and 106 are pre-tensioned to help retain the shape of the side panels 12 and 14 when the side walls 12 and 14 are folded to form arm rests, as will be described in more detail hereinafter.

[0042] The cooler apparatus 10 can be provided with a top handle 120 secured to the top lid 16. The cooler apparatus 10 can be carried by the handle 120 as if it were a briefcase particularly when the cooler apparatus 10 is empty or in a folded position. A pair of side handles 122, 124 is secured to the side panels 12 and 14, respectively a distance from top edges of the side panels. The side handle 122 is secured to the side wall 12 in a mirror image position to the handle 124 of the side wall 14.

[0043] The side handles 122, 124 can be formed from the same polyester webbing material as the side belts 90, 94 and the bracing members 98, 106. It is envisioned that the side handles 122, 124 will be particularly useful when lifting the cooler apparatus 10 loaded with food and drinks. [0044] In one aspect of the invention, the cooler apparatus 10 is provided with one or more LED light units 130 mounted on the bottom wall 18. The light units are mounted adjacent outside rear corners of the bottom wall 18 and do not interfere with the operation of the rolling wheel sets 24, 26.

[0045] The light units 130 are provided a power source (not shown) that allows a user to selectively activate and de-activate the light. As can be seen in Figure 4, the light units 130 face downwardly. It is envisioned that this element of the invention will be particularly useful when the user walks in the dark carrying or rolling the cooler apparatus 10. The LED lights will illuminate the path of travel.

[0046] In another aspect of the invention, one or more umbrella holders 132, 134 secured on the back wall 22 adjacent the pockets 80, 82. The umbrella holders 132, 134 may be formed as open-top closed-bottom cylindrical receptacles. The umbrella holders are configured to retain umbrellas in an easily accessible location on the cooler apparatus 10.

[0047] The back panel 22 can be equipped with a radio unit 136 fitted on the outside of the handle cage 48. The radio unit 136 can be powered by batteries, solar energy or other types of electrical power.

[0048] When converting the cooler 10 to a stadium seat, the user also folds the front wall 20 toward the back wall 22, such that the inner surface of the front wall 20 overlaps the inner surface of the back 22. This position of can be seen in Figures 5, 9, and 10. The user then folds the sidewalls 12, 14 inwardly at approximately 45-degree angle along the bracing members 98, and 106, pushing the top front portions of the sidewalls 12, 14 against the bottom rear portions thereof. The diagonally folded portions of the sidewalls 12 and 14 form the inner parts of the stadium seat sides, as can be seen in Figures 5, 9 and 10, while the lower portions form the outer sides of the stadium seat. The back wall with the folded-down front wall forms the seating base of the stadium seat. The top lid forms the upright back of the stadium seat.

[0049] The bracings 98 and 106 prevent the side walls 12 and from collapsing when the user occupies the seat, as shown in Figure 9 and 10. At the same time the base belts 90 and 94 prevent the back of the formed seat from leaning back and extending at an uncomfortable angle in relation to the bottom of the seat. The base belts and the bracings are disposed to counterbalance the weight of the user so as to provide a right-angle strut between lower thigh and mid- back. This way, the base curls around the bottom of leg, and the back curls around the lower portion of the user's back, forming a bucket-seat arrangement.

[0050] Flexibility of the bottom plate as well as back plate while still providing some rigidity allows the user to form comfortable and useful seat on which otherwise would be a bulky chest the user would have to carry around. The ability to fold the entire apparatus into a briefcase-like fashion provides easy method of transporting the otherwise empty cooler.

[0051] The distance between the front legs 40, 42 and the wheel sets 24, 26 is selected to be at least slightly greater than the width of the stadium bench 59. Typically, a stadium bench is about 11 inches wide. When positioned on the bench 59, the cooler 10, now the stadium seat, is firmly anchored against the bench by the front legs 40, 42, the hooks 50, 51 and the wheel sets 24, 26.

[0052] The converted stadium seat can be easily returned to its original form and shape to become a cooler for next use.

[0053] Many changes and modifications can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof. I, therefore, pray that my rights to the present invention be limited only by scope of the appended claims.

Claims

I Claim:

1. A collapsible cooler apparatus convertible to a stadium seat, comprising:

a flexible collapsible shell having a front wall, a back wall, a pair of opposing sidewalls, a bottom wall and a top lid pivotally secured to the back wall, said front lid being configured to fold down against an inner surface of the back wall and together with the back wall, form a seating portion of the stadium seat, while the top lid forms an upright back of the stadium seat, and wherein said sidewalls having top portions being configured to fold diagonally down against bottom portions of the sidewalls while lower portions of the sidewalls remain unfolded, said top portions and said lower portions forming upright sidewalls of the stadium seat, and wherein each of the sidewalls carries a diagonal flexible non-stretchable bracing member, said bracing member being disposed to retain the top lid a pre-determined angle in relation to the front wall.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, each of the sidewalls carrying a base belt extending along a bottom front of the sidewall to a bottom back of a respective sidewalk

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of said bracing members and said base belts is provided with an adjustable buckle for selectively adjusting length of the bracing members and the base belts.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, said top lid being provided with an opening allowing access to interior of the shell without opening the top lid.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, said opening being normally closed by a pivotal flap selectively pivoted to allow access to the shell interior.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a peripheral closure strip is secured on an interior surface of the flap, and wherein a matching closure strip is secured to an exterior surface of the top lid, said closure strips being disposed for engagement when the flap is in a closed position.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the sidewalls carries a side handle secured a distance below an upper edge of the sidewalls.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a handle cage secured to an outside surface of the back wall, and wherein a retractable handle is secured in said handle cage.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a pair of pockets is secured to the back wall on opposite sides of the handle cage.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a set of rotating wheel sets secured to the back and bottom walls of the shell.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pair of spaced-apart stationary legs secured to a front portion of the bottom wall.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pair of spaced-apart engagement hook assemblies secured to an exterior of the bottom wall.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each of the engagement hook assemblies is provided with a hook portion being movable between a normally folded position substantially parallel to the bottom wall and an unfolded position substantially perpendicular to the bottom wall, said hook being configured to detachably engage a stadium bench, while the bottom wall is configured to rest on the stadium bench.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said engagement hook is spring loaded for retaining the engagement hook in a normally folded position.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one rigid plate is disposed for positioning on an interior surface of the bottom wall.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a shoulder strap detachably engageable with the shell.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, said front wall carrying a front pocket, and wherein a frontmost part of the top lid forms a closure member for the front pocket.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising at least one downwardly facing light unit secured to the bottom wall.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, said at least one light unit is LED light unit.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising at least one umbrella holder having an open top and a closed bottom, the at least one umbrella holder being secured to the back panel.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a radio unit secured to the back wall.

22. A method of converting a cooler into a stadium seat, comprising the steps:

providing a flexible collapsible shell having a front wall, a back wall, a pair of opposing sidewalls and a top lid pivotally secured to the back wall along a pivot line;

providing a diagonal flexible non-stretchable bracing member on each of the sidewalls, each of the bracing members extending between an upper back corner of a respective sidewall to a bottom front corner of the sidewall;

folding the front wall downwardly and inwardly such that the front wall overlaps the back wall and together with the back wall forms a bottom seating portion of the stadium seat, while the top lid defines an upright back of the stadium seat;

olding upper portions of each of the sidewalls downwardly and inwardly against lower portions of the sidewalls substantially along the bracing members, thereby forming upright sides of the stadium seat.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising a step of providing a base belt on each of the sidewalls, said base belt extending along a bottom front of the sidewall to a bottom back of a respective sidewall.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein each of said bracing members and said base belts is provided with an adjustable buckle for selectively adjusting length of the bracing members and the base belts.

25. The method of claim 22, comprising a step of providing an opening in the top lid and allowing access to interior of the shell without lifting the top lid.

26. The method of claim 25, said opening being normally closed by a pivotal flap selectively pivoted to allow access to the shell interior.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein a peripheral closure strip is secured on an interior surface of the flap, and wherein a matching closure strip is secured to an exterior surface of the top lid, said closure strips being disposed for engagement when the flap is in a closed position.

28. The method of claim 22, comprising a step of providing a side handle secured to each of the sidewalls a distance below an upper edge of the sidewalls.

29. The method of claim 22, further comprising a step of providing a pair of spaced- apart engagement hook assemblies secured to an exterior of the bottom wall.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein each of the engagement hook assemblies is provided with a hook portion being movable between a normally folded position substantially parallel to the bottom wall and an unfolded position substantially perpendicular to the bottom wall, said hook being configured to detachably engage a stadium bench, while the bottom wall is configured to rest on the stadium bench.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said engagement hook is spring loaded for retaining the engagement hook in a normally folded position.

32. The method of claim 22, further comprising a step of providing a shoulder strap detachably engageable with the shell.

33. The method of claim 22, said front wall carrying a front pocket, and wherein a frontmost part of the top lid forms a closure member for the front pocket.

34. The method of claim 22, further comprising a step of providing a handle cage secured to an outside surface of the back wall, and wherein a retractable handle is secured in said handle cage.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein a pair of pockets is secured to the back wall on opposite sides of the handle cage.

36. The method of claim 22, further comprising a step of providing a set of rotating wheel sets secured to the back and bottom walls of the shell.

37. The method of claim 22, further comprising a pair of spaced-apart stationary legs secured to a front portion of the bottom wall.

38. The method of claim 22, comprising a step of providing at least one downwardly facing light unit secured to the bottom wall.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said at least one light unit is LED light unit.

40. The method of claim 22, comprising a step of providing at least one umbrella holder having an open top and a closed bottom, the at least one umbrella holder being secured to the back panel.

41. The method of claim 22, comprising a step of providing a radio unit secured to the back wall.