Storage sleeve for food and beverages

Abstract

A storage sleeve comprised of a plurality of side panels defining and open-ended hollow box-like structure appropriately sized for placement in a conventional cooler container and surrounded by a coolant. At least one of the plurality of side panels includes a mesh-like section to readily facilitate heat transfer therethrough. When the storage sleeve is placed within the cooler container and at least partially surrounded by a solid coolant such as ice, the box-like structure as defined by the plurality of side panels prevents the coolant from occupying the storage area. At the same time, the mesh-like section accommodates heat transfer between the storage area and the coolant itself.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments, the invention is now claimed to be:  
     
         1 . A storage sleeve for use in a cooler container, comprising: 
 a plurality of side panels defining a hollow polygonal structure adapted to be placed within a conventional cooler container with the interior of said polygonal structure defining a storage area;    at least one of the plurality of side panels including a mesh-like section to facilitate heat transfer therethrough; and,    wherein when said polygonal structure is placed within an associated cooler container and at least partially surrounded by a coolant in solid form, said side panels substantially prevent the coolant from penetrating the storage area while the mesh-like section of said at least one side panel allows heat transfer between the storage area and coolant.    
     
     
         2 . The storage sleeve of  claim 1  wherein said polygonal structure is generally rectangular-shaped.  
     
     
         3 . The storage sleeve of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the plurality of side panels is substantially flat and adapted to be positioned in close spaced relation to an associated substantially flat surface.  
     
     
         4 . The storage sleeve of  claim 3  wherein at least a second of the plurality of side panels is substantially flat and adapted to be positioned in close spaced relation to an associated substantially flat surface.  
     
     
         5 . The storage sleeve of  claim 1  wherein the interior of said polygonal structure is generally sized to receive a conventional beverage container.  
     
     
         6 . The storage sleeve of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of side panels are formed of a relatively lightweight plastic material.  
     
     
         7 . The storage sleeve of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of side panels include a first side panel having a slot adjacent an outer distal side edge thereof; a second side panel connected to the first side panel at contiguous side edges by a first living hinge; a third side panel connected to the second side panel at contiguous side edges by a second living hinge; a fourth side panel connected to the third side panel at contiguous side edges by a third living hinge, the fourth side panel having a connecting tab protruding from the outer distal side edge thereof and adapted to be receivable in the slot for selectively connecting the fourth side panel to the first side panel.  
     
     
         8 . The storage sleeve of  claim 7  wherein the connecting tab includes a protrusion for releaseably securing the connecting tab in the slot.  
     
     
         9 . The storage sleeve of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of side panels includes a first side panel comprised of first and second side panel sections having first and second rabbits, respectively, extending along the distal side edges thereof; said first side panel section connected to a second side panel at contiguous side edges by a first living hinge; said second side panel connected to a third side panel at contiguous side edges by a second living hinge; said third side panel connected to a fourth side panel at contiguous side edges by a third living hinge; said second side panel section connected to the fourth side panel at contiguous side edges by a fourth living hinge; and, said first and second rabbits adapted be placed in overlapping relation with one another to form said first side panel.  
     
     
         10 . The storage sleeve of  claim 9  further including means for affixing said first and second rabbits in overlapping relation with one another.  
     
     
         11 . The storage sleeve of  claim 10  wherein the connecting means comprises a mechanical fastener cooperatively recurring said first and second rabbits in said overlapping relation.  
     
     
         12 . A storage sleeve adapted for defining a segregated storage area within a container, comprising: 
 a first generally rectangular panel member having first and second side edges;    a second generally rectangular panel member having first and second side edges, the first side edge of the second panel member being connected to the second side edge of the first panel member;    a third generally rectangular panel member having first and second side edges, the first side edge of the third panel member being flexibly connected to the second side edge of the second panel member; and    a fourth generally rectangular panel member having first and second side edges, the first side edge of the fourth panel member flexibly connected to the second side edge of the third panel member, the second side edge of said fourth panel member being flexibly connected to said first panel member first side edge to form an open-ended box-like structure.    
     
     
         13 . The storage sleeve of  claim 12  wherein at least one of said panel members includes a mesh for preventing a solid cooling agent from passing therethrough while allowing generally unobstructed heat transfer therethrough.  
     
     
         14 . The storage sleeve of  claim 12  wherein one of said first panel member second side edge and second panel member first side edge includes at least one tab extending outwardly therefrom for retaining receipt in at least one slot in the other of said first panel member second side edge and second panel member first side edge.  
     
     
         15 . The storage sleeve of  claim 14  wherein said tab includes a protrusion for releaseably securing the tab in said slot.  
     
     
         16 . The storage sleeve of  claim 12  wherein said first panel member is comprised of first and second panel sections with a first side edge of said first panel section comprising said first panel member first side edge and a first side edge of said second panel section comprising said first panel member second side edge.  
     
     
         17 . The storage sleeve of  claim 16  wherein said first panel second side edge is flexibly connected to said second panel first side edge.  
     
     
         18 . The storage sleeve of  claim 16  wherein the first and second panel sections have first and second rabbits, respectively, extending along the distal side edges thereof, said rabbits being cooperable in an overlapping relationship to define a generally flat first panel member.  
     
     
         19 . The storage sleeve of  claim 18  further including means for securing said first and second panel sections together along said overlapping rabbits.  
     
     
         20 . The storage sleeve of  claim 12  wherein said sleeve may be selectively shifted between an unassembled generally flat condition and said open ended box-like condition be connecting an separating one pair of contiguous panel member side edges relative to each other.