Insulated container and liner

Abstract

A portable soft sided insulated container has an impermeable liner that provides a liquid holding barrier. The liner is folded from a single monolithic plastic sheet to reduce or eliminate the need for heat welded seams. The liner seats within the container and has a releasable attachment around its lip for mating with the rim of the container. The container has an insulated lid so that the entire assembly may be closed. The liner can be removed for cleaning, or replacement if punctured. When not in use the entire assembly can be folded into a collapsed position for storage.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A combination comprising: 
 a soft-sided insulated container, and a removable liner for placement inside said container, said liner being folded from a monolithic sheet of liner stock to define a chamber, capable of holding liquids, said liner being free of heat welded seams.    
     
     
         2 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein said liner is made from a water impermeable plastic sheet.  
     
     
         3 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein said liner is made from a translucent static cling vinyl sheet.  
     
     
         4 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein said soft sided insulated container has a base, sides and a top, said liner has a base, sides for placement inside and adjacent to said base and sides of said container; and said top of said container is moveable to an open position to permit articles to be placed in said chamber.  
     
     
         5 . The combination of  claim 4  wherein said chamber has an opening, said opening having a lip, and said liner is mated to said coder about said lip.  
     
     
         6 . The combination of  claim 5  wherein said opening has four sides, said lip extends about said four sides opening; and said liner is mated to said container on said four sides.  
     
     
         7 . The combination of  claim 1  wherein said liner has a rectangular base and four sides extending from said base, each of said sides having an edge adjoining said base and a distal edge distant from said base; and said chamber has an opening defined between said distal edges of said sides.  
     
     
         8 . The combination of  claim 7  wherein one of said sides has a lid member extending therefrom, said lid member being moveable to close said opening of said liner.  
     
     
         9 . The combination of  claim 8  wherein said lid member is a flap formed integrally with said liner, said flap having four lid edges, one edge being a folded hinge edge adjoining one of said distal edges of said sides, the remaining three lid edges having a closure for mating with the remaining three distal edges.  
     
     
         10 . A combination comprising: 
 a soft sided insulated container; and    a removable liner for placement inside said container, said liner being formed from a water impermeable plastic sheet, said sheet having a periphery;    said liner having a quadrilateral base and four sides extending from said base to define a chamber therebetween capable of holding water;    each of said sides being joined to said base at a base edge;    each of said sides having a pair of lateral edges each meeting said base edge at a corner;    each of said sides having an edge opposed to said base edge and meeting each of said lateral edges at a corner;    said sheet having corner portions defined between 
 (a) adjacent lateral edges of two of said sides, and  
 (b) said periphery and said corner positions are folded to lie against said sides.  
   
     
     
         11 . The combination of  claim 10  wherein said base is a rectangle and two of said sides, joined to said base on opposite sides of said rectangle, are trapezoidal.  
     
     
         12 . The combination of  claim 10  wherein said chamber has the shape of an inverted, truncated rectangular based pyramid.  
     
     
         13 . The combination of  claim 10  wherein said container has an internal face made from a reflective material and said liner is transparent.  
     
     
         14 . A combination comprising: 
 a soft sided insulated container, and    a removable liner for placement inside said container,    said liner being formed from a water impermeable plastic sheet; said sheet having a periphery; said liner having a rectangular base and four sides extending from said base to form a chamber therebetween, each of said sides being joined to said base at a base edge;    said sheet being folded on a first pair of parallel fold lines to define one pair of said base edges;    said sheet being folded on a second pair of fold lines to define the remainder of said edges;    said sheet having four corner portions each defined between 
 (a) an end portion of one of said first pair of fold lines;  
 (b) an adjacent end portion of one of said second pair of fold lines, and  
 (c) said periphery; and  
   said corner portions are folded to lie against said sides.    
     
     
         15 . The combination of  claim 14  wherein said sides have an inside face and an outside face and said corner portions are folded to lie against said outside faces.  
     
     
         16 . The combination of  claim 14  wherein each of said corners is folded to form a triangular flap, and each of said flaps is folded to lie against one of said sides.  
     
     
         17 . The combination of  claim 16  wherein one of said triangular flaps is folded to lie against each of said sides of said liner.  
     
     
         18 . The combination of  claim 16  wherein two of said triangular flaps are folded to lie against one side of said liner.  
     
     
         19 . The combination of  claim 16  wherein two of said triangular flaps are folded to lie against one side of said liner, and the other two triangular flaps are folded to lie against another side of said liner.  
     
     
         20 . The combination of  claim 14  wherein 
 each of said sides has a distal edge opposed to its respective base edge;  
 said chamber has a lip defined by said distal edges; and  
 said corner portions are fastened to said sides adjacent said lip.  
 
     
     
         21 . The combination of  claim 20  wherein one of said sides has a cover flap formed integrally therewith, and joined thereto at a cover fold, said cover flap mating with the distal edges of the remaining sides of said liner.  
     
     
         22 . The combination of  claim 14  wherein said container has a reflective inner surface and said liner is transparent.