Cooler with Magnetic Ice Packs

Abstract

A cooler system is comprised of an insulated shell and at least one ice pack. The inner surface of the insulated shell and the ice pack or packs comprise magnets and materials attracted to those magnets, allowing the ice packs to be held in position during use. Ice packs, when connected to the inner surface of the insulated shell, are prevented from damaging other items within the cooler under expected forces during use.

Description

[0001] The present disclosure is generally directed to coolers and ice packs. More specifically, the subject matter of this application pertains to coolers and ice packs, where at least one wall of the cooler and an ice pack are designed to adhere to each other by magnetic attraction. Even more specifically, the subject matter of this application pertains to magnetic coolers and ice packs in which each ice pack is adapted to ease manual placement and removal, and in which each ice pack is adapted to allow visual confirmation of the level and state of a freezing gel within.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Coolers are nearly ubiquitous in any situation in which one wants to keep something cold without electricity. Whether it's hot dogs, potato salad, and sodas for a cookout, beer for tailgating outside a stadium, or an organ en route to an operating room, coolers are the preferred, if not the only, way to maintain a temperature over time.

[0003] Coolers come in many forms; some are little more than a Styrofoam cube with an internal space. Studier and longer-lasting coolers are often formed of an internal cube within an external cube, with the space between the cubes filled with some insulating material. This insulating material could be air, cork, or polystyrene foam, or any number of other materials. The insulating material, along with the inner and outer cube materials, resists the movement of heat between the inside of the cooler and the outside. So, a rotisserie chicken in one cooler will stay warmer longer, and a container of ice cream in a different cooler will stay colder longer. Several materials and thickness combinations have been tested to yield coolers that can maintain temperatures for several days.

[0004] The easiest way to maintain temperatures within a cooler is to increase the bulk of materials at a specific temperature. Discussing conduction, convection, and radiation in the context of a cooler containing a six-pack and another containing a six-pack and a bag of ice would be incredibly interesting, but beyond our present needs. Suffice it to say, adding ice to a cooler will keep the interior colder for longer.

[0005] No system is perfect. No matter how much ice one packs in a cooler, the temperature will eventually rise, and the ice will start to melt, potentially leaving the contents floating in water. One way to mitigate the possible mess is to keep the ice in a bag; this can reduce the problems associated with melting ice for a long time, provided the bag is sealed. Then, ideally, one only must deal with a large bag of water. Another option is the use of ice packs. A typical ice pack is a container of sodium polyacrylate, a compound that absorbs water and can be frozen and thawed repeatedly.

[0006] Ice packs still freely float within a cooler, presenting another problem if they shift during movement. Ice packs bouncing around in a cooler could squish or damage softer items like a cheesecake or a human heart. Jostling ice packs also increases the risk of damage to the ice pack itself, which can rupture and cause an even greater mess than melted ice.

[0007] It would be preferable for a cooler to be integrated with one or more ice packs held in position. Such ice packs would be removable, allowing them to be refrozen as needed. Ideally, the ice packs are designed to be easily placed and removed while remaining resistant to unintentional movement. Further, the ice packs should have some adaptation allowing a user to quickly and visually assess their status.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:The subject matter of this application addresses all the above-stated preferences. A cooler and an ice pack are designed so that the ice pack is attracted to the inner surface of the cooler by magnetism. The ice packs also have ridges, gaps, or other physical features that allow a person to grab and remove them from the cooler. The ice packs are firm and translucent enough to enable one to visually determine their state.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exploded cooler.

[0010] FIG. 2 is an illustration of an embodiment of an ice pack.

[0011] FIG. 3 illustrates a cooler shell magnetically attached to an ice pack.

[0012] FIG. 4 is view of the inside of a cooler shell to illustrate how a component of a magnetic coupling system may be embedded in the interspace of a shell.

[0013] FIG. 5 is view of the inside of a cooler shell to illustrate how a component of a magnetic coupling system may be attached to the inner surface of a shell.

[0014] FIG. 6 is a view of an ice pack and a complementary section of the shell illustrating a way of structuring the magnets and ferromagnetic features.

[0015] FIG. 7 is a view of an ice pack and a complementary section of the shell illustrating another way of structuring the magnets and ferromagnetic features.

[0016] FIG. 8 is a view of an ice pack and a complementary section of the shell illustrating yet another way of structuring the magnets and ferromagnetic features.

[0017] FIG. 9 is a cross section of an ice pack to show internal media and an internal magnet.

[0018] The same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to represent the same aspects wherever possible.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] While the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures and described herein are presently preferred, these embodiments are offered by way of example only. Accordingly, the present application is not limited to a particular embodiment but extends to various modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims. The order or sequence of any processes or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments.

[0020] It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes, and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited in the claims. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or components, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present application. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. In the claims, any means-plus-function clause is intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present application.

[0021] Uses of the verbs ‘include’ and ‘have’ should be understood to mean ‘comprise,’ i.e., the terms are inclusive and open-ended and do not exclude additional elements or steps. For ease of drafting and understanding, the subject matter of this application is discussed and detailed in the context of coolers. However, the disclosed teachings may be applied to other apparatuses. Accordingly, ‘cooler’ should be understood to mean any type of structure having an inside space in which some condition inside the structure resists change due to changes in that condition outside the structure. Further, although the packs are described as ‘ice’ packs, they could contain hot water to keep the inside of a cooler warm, desiccant to keep it dry, or any suitable materials to achieve some desired effect. Also, a magnetic pair should be understood as comprising either a magnet and a ferromagnetic material or the opposing poles of two magnets.

[0022] In the context of the packs, transparent means sufficiently transparent to visually confirm some condition within the pack.

[0023] For clarity, a cooler (101) is described as having a shell (301) and one or more ice packs (201).

[0024] A shell has a wall that defines an internal space (501) and a lid (102) that can be placed in a closed state and in an open state. The wall has an internal surface (302) and an external surface (304) separated by an interspace (401). This interspace may be an air gap or at least partially filled with suitable insulating material. When the lid is closed, the internal space is substantially isolated and sealed off from the space outside the cooler.

[0025] A first component of a two-component magnetic pair is associated with the internal surface of the cooler. This component (502) may be accessible from within the internal space of the cooler, i.e., attached to the internal surface of the cooler wall or embedded within the cooler wall; or this component (401) may be within the interspace of the wall.

[0026] An ice pack comprises a first face (202), a second face (601), a translucent portion (203), and a grasping adaptation (204). The space between the first and second faces of the ice pack defines an ice pack interspace (901). In most useful embodiments, this interspace is at least partially filled with an appropriate medium such as sodium polyacrylate.

[0027] An ice pack (601) further comprises a second component (602) of a two-component magnetic pair. This component may be attached to (e.g., 602, 702, 803, 804), or embedded in the first face of the ice pack; or the second component may be within the ice pack interspace (e.g., 901).

[0028] Placing the first face of the ice pack against the internal surface of the cooler's wall and aligning the two components of the magnetic pair causes the ice pack to adhere to the cooler via magnetic force.

[0029] In a highly preferred embodiment, the ice pack includes one or more fingerhold indentations for easy removal (e.g., 204).

[0030] In a most highly preferred embodiment, the ice pack comprises at least one transparent or window that allows a user to see the sodium polyacrylate or other material within the ice pack. In a highly preferred embodiment, the material includes a colorimetric indicator that changes color when the temperature reaches a certain point, enabling rapid detection of properly chilled ice packs or suitably warmed hot packs. Similar packs could make use of other colorimetric materials for rapid determination of humidity or other conditions.

[0031] Each two-component magnetic pair comprises structures of magnets and ferromagnetic features arranged to magnetically couple the ice pack and the cooler. The exact conformation of the structures depends on the need for stability, magnetic strength, whether exact or more permissive location is needed, and cost.

[0032] In some embodiments, the first component of the two-component magnetic pair is a ferromagnetic material distributed across a predominant portion of the internal surface (FIG. 6, 502, 701), or of the interspace of the cooler. In these embodiments, the second component of the two-component magnetic pair 702 is a magnet positioned on an ice pack 602 such that the ice pack will reversibly attach to the inner surface of the cooler.

[0033] In other embodiments (e.g., FIG. 7), the ferromagnetic features on, or in, the cooler is comprised of one or more discrete regions, such as horizontal and vertical slats or simple shapes, which reduces materials cost and constrains the positioning of the ice packs, which may also comprise one or more discrete regions of magnetic materials to reduce materials cost further.

[0034] In yet other embodiments (e.g., FIG. 8), the first component (501) of the two-component magnetic pair is a battery of units, in which each unit may be either a magnet (801) or a piece of ferromagnetic material (802); and the paired ice pack has a complementary battery of ferromagnetic and magnetic units (804), such that magnets in one said component align with ferromagnetic regions associated with the other of the two components. In a similar embodiment (FIG. 9), each unit in the battery of one of the two-component magnetic pairs is a magnet with either the north or south pole directed toward an opposing pole on, or in, the other component. In such embodiments, positioning the components may be used to restrict where an ice pack, or a specific ice pack is positionable within the cooler.

[0035] To use the above-described cooler in its expected most common circumstance, a user would place the ice packs in a freezer for several hours or until fully frozen, remove one or more ice packs from the freezer, open the cooler lid place the first face of an ice pack against the internal surface of the wall of the cooler, where it would stick due to magnetic attraction. The user then adds items to keep cold in the cooler and closes it. When the cooler is no longer needed, or the ice packs need to be refrozen, the user grabs the ice pack by the finger grip portion and removes it. The user can confirm the ice pack status by looking through the transparent portion of the ice pack.

Claims

1. A cooler comprising a shell and at least one removable component;said shell comprising a wall comprising an internal surface, an external surface, an interspace, and a first component of a two-component attachment system;said removable component comprising an environmental stabilizing material and a second component of a two-component attachment system,said stabilizing material chosen to maintain some environmental condition.

2. The cooler of claim 1 in which the removable component is adapted for manual removal.

3. The cooler of claim 1 in which the removable component further comprises a first face, a second face, and an interspace.

4. The cooler of claim 3 in which the interspace of the removable component contains the environmental stabilizing material.

5. The cooler of claim 4 in which at last one face of the removable component comprises a transparent portion.

6. The cooler of claim 1 in which the stabilizing material has a specific heat of approximately 1 Cal / gram° C.

7. The cooler of claim 1 in which the first component of the two-component attachment system is a ferromagnetic material, and the second component of the two-component attachment system is a magnet.

8. The cooler of claim 7 in which the first component and the second component are positioned to be contiguous when the removable component is placed against the internal surface of the wall of the shell.

9. The cooler of claim 1 in which the stabilizing material has a specific heat of approximately 1 Cal / gram° C.

10. The cooler of claim 1 in which the first component of the two-component attachment system is a ferromagnetic material, and the second component of the two-component attachment system is a magnet.

11. The cooler of claim 1 in which the first component and the second component are positioned to be contiguous when the removable component is placed against the internal surface of the wall of the shell.

12. The cooler of claim 1 in which the first component of the two-component attachment system is an axially magnetized magnet and the second component of the two-component attachment system is an axially magnetized magnet, each said being oriented such that the north pole of one faces the south pole of the other.

13. The cooler of claim 12 in which the first component and the second component are positioned to be contiguous when the removable component is placed against the internal surface of the wall of the shell.

14. The cooler of claim 13 in which the first component of the two-component attachment system is comprised of at least two axially magnetized magnets the second component of the two-component attachment system is comprised of at least two axially magnetized magnets, in which each first component magnet is oriented to be magnetically attracted to a paired second component magnet.

15. The cooler of claim 13 in which one of the components is ferromagnetic.

16. The cooler of claim 14 in which one of the components of the two-component attachment system is ferromagnetic.

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