Container with thermal storage member

Abstract

A container assembly has a substantially rigid moulded plastic shell, tub, a lid, and an auxiliary container that may contain a thermal storage medium such as a phase change liquid. The lid has a peripheral seal that mates in an interference fit with the lip of the tub. The lid also has external fittings that define a seat for the auxiliary container. The lid and the auxiliary container have mutually engaging guides and guide followers that permit a single degree of translational freedom sliding motion of the auxiliary container relative to the lid. The fittings of the seat and the interference fit seal fittings of the lid and the tub do not interfere with or obstruct each other. The tub, the lid and the auxiliary container may have roughly the same footprint, such that when assembled they form a compact assembly, one atop, or beside, the other. That assembly may fit inside an accommodation of an associated soft-sided insulated wall structure such as may define a lunch container or carrier, or other soft-sided insulated package.

1 . A container assembly comprising:
 a base portion, a lid portion, and an auxiliary container;   said base portion having a generally rectangular first wall and a peripheral sidewall standing away therefrom, said peripheral sidewall having four co-operating generally four sided portions, said base wall and said sidewalls co-operating to define an open topped box-like tub;   said peripheral sidewall having a peripheral lip defining an opening of said box-like tub;   said lid portion including a substantially planar spanning member, said substantially planar member having a first face for orientation, in use, toward said tub, a second face for orientation away from said tub, and a neutral plane;   said lid portion having a peripheral land facing in the same orientation as said first face of said spanning member, said peripheral land being matingly engageable with said lip of said base portion;   said lid being movable between an open position in which said land and said lip are disengaged, and a closed position in which said land and said lip are engaged   in said closed position said lid and said base portion defining an enclosed chamber;   said auxiliary container having a hollow body, and a port by which liquids may be introduced therewithin, said port having a closure member;   said auxiliary container having a length, a breadth, and a through thickness, said length being at least as great as said breadth, and said through thickness being less than one half of each of (a) said length and (b) said breadth;   said auxiliary container having a surface for placement next to said spanning member;   said lid having a seat for said auxiliary container;   one of (a) said lid and (b) said auxiliary container, having at least one guide; the other of (a) said auxiliary container, and (b) said lid, having at least one guide follower, said guide and guide follower being co-operable to direct said auxiliary container into an engaged position in said seat;   said lid being engageable with said lip by an engagement motion in a first direction;   said auxiliary container being movable into engagement with said seat by motion in a second direction, said auxiliary container being constrained to move in said second direction by said at least one guide and guide follower;   said second direction being substantially cross-wise to said first direction; and, when said auxiliary container is mounted in said seat,   engagement of said lip with said peripheral land being unobstructed by said auxiliary container, said at least one guide and said at least one guide follower.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 said auxiliary container has a substantially rectangular footprint, and includes first and second flange portions extending outwardly from at least two opposed edges of said rectangular footprint;   said lid has first and second opposed mating flanges for sliding engagement with said first and second flange portions of said auxiliary container, said flange portions and said flanges defining said at least one guide and said at least one guide follower.   
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said auxiliary container has a phase change thermal storage medium contained therewithin. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 said auxiliary container has a first substantially rectangular wall, a second substantially rectangular wall spaced and parallel to said first rectangular wall, and a peripheral wall extending between said first and second substantially rectangular walls;   said first wall has first and second extending flange portions standing proud of said peripheral wall, said flange portions defining said at least one guide follower;   said lid includes a set of cleats, said cleats defining said at least one guide member, said cleats being mounted to stand proud of said second face of said spanning portion of said lid;   said cleats and said flange portions being co-operable in a sliding interference fit.   
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said open-topped box-like tub includes a seat for receiving said auxiliary container therewithin, and, when said auxiliary container is received therein, said lid and lip are unobstructed. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein said auxiliary container, said lid portion, and said base portion all have generally corresponding footprints. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising a soft-sided insulated container housing, said housing including an accommodation of a close fitting size corresponding to said auxiliary container, said lid portion and said base portion as assembled, said soft-sided insulated container housing being made of a wall structure having an inner skin, an outer skin and a layer of thermal insulation therebetween. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein:
 said soft-sided insulated container includes a first soft-sided insulated wall portion defining a first compartment and a second soft-sided insulated wall portion defining a second compartment;   said first compartment defining said accommodation, said first compartment having a first closure member;   said second compartment being mounted adjacent to said first compartment, and having a second closure member governing access thereto, said first and second compartments sharing, and being segregated by, a common wall.   
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein said soft-sided insulated container includes a lifting member, and, in use, when hanging from said lifting member, said first compartment is located below said second compartment, and said second compartment narrows from a broad base to a narrow top. 
   
   
       10 . A container assembly comprising:
 a first member, a second member, and a third member;   the first member being a substantially rigid container base portion, said base portion having a bottom and an upstanding peripheral sidewall;   said upstanding peripheral sidewall having a margin defining a lip;   the second member being a substantially planar lid co-operable with said container base portion, said lid including a peripherally extending land matable with said lip, said lip and said land mating in an elastic interference fit defining a seal such that said lid is co-operable with said container base portion;   said third member being a substantially rigid hollow vessel; said third member having an internal volumetric envelope, a nominal enclosed surface and a first surface for placement next to the second member;   said first surface having an hydraulic diameter having a magnitude that is greater than the cube root of said internal volume;   said first surface having an area greater than one sixth of said nominal enclosed surface;   said second member having a seat for receiving said third member, and when so seated, said first surface being next to said second member, said second and third members having between them a co-operable set of guides and guide followers by which said second member is moved between engaged and disengaged positions relative to said seat; and   said land is unobstructed by (a) said seat; (b) said guides and (c) said guide followers.   
   
   
       11 . The container assembly of  claim 10  further comprising a soft-sided insulated container having a first accommodation sized to receive said first, second and third members as an assembled unit. 
   
   
       12 . The container assembly of  claim 11  wherein said soft-sided insulated container has a second accommodation defined therein. 
   
   
       13 . The container assembly of  claim 12  wherein said soft-sided insulated container has a first soft-sided insulated wall structure portion in the form of a five-sided open topped box defining said first accommodation, and a second soft-sided insulated wall structure portion having a base, a pair of end walls, and a downwardly opening spanning wall extending between two end walls co-operably joined to define said second accommodation therewithin, said base of said second soft-sided insulated wall structure portion defining a lid of said first soft-sided insulated wall structure portion, said soft-sided insulated wall structure including a first closure member extending peripherally about at least a portion of said base of said second soft-sided insulated wall structure portion, said first closure member being operable to govern opening and closing of said base relative to said five-sided open topped box structure, thereby governing entrance thereto; said base having an edge hingedly joined to said five-sided open-topped insulated box; said end walls having a downwardly broadening form having a crest and a base, said spanning wall being bent to conform to said downwardly broadening form; said second soft-sided insulated wall structure portion including a second closure member governing access thereto; and said soft sided insulated container has a handle mounted at said crest, whereby, when lifted by said handle said first accommodation hangs below said second accommodation. 
   
   
       14 . The container assembly of  claim 10  wherein said lid mates with said lip by motion predominantly in translation in a first direction substantially normal to said lid and said substantially rigid hollow member mates with said lid by motion in translation in a direction predominantly parallel to said lid. 
   
   
       15 . A container assembly comprising:
 a plastic moulded tub having a peripheral lip defining a mouth of the tub;   a plastic moulded lid for the tub; and   a moulded plastic flask;   the lid having a closure fitting for mating with the moulded tub; and   the lid having guide fittings;   the moulded plastic flask having guide followers for sliding engagement with the guide fittings of the lid; and   when the moulded flask is mated to the lid (a) the closure fitting for mating with the tub is unobstructed by the guide fittings and guide followers; and (b) the guide fittings and guide followers are unobstructed by the closure fitting.   
   
   
       16 . The container assembly of  claim 10  wherein said closure fitting and said moulded tub engage by relative motion in a direction substantially normal to said lid, and said flask and said lid engage by motion in a direction substantially parallel to said lid. 
   
   
       17 . The container assembly of  claim 15  wherein:
 said lid has a first face oriented to face into said tub, and said closure fitting is oriented in the same direction; and   said lid has a second face oriented to face away from said tub, and said guide fittings stand proud of said second face.   
   
   
       18 . The container assembly of  claim 15  wherein said tub has at least one abutment fitting defining a seat therein for receiving said flask within said tub without obstructing securement of said lid to said tub. 
   
   
       19 . The container assembly of  claim 15  wherein said lid has guideway accommodations for said flask both internally and externally relative to said tub. 
   
   
       20 . The container assembly of  claim 15  wherein said tub has a base wall, and said base wall has external fittings for mounting said flask in substantially planar facing relationship thereto outside said tub.