Collapsible container useful as a cooler

Abstract

A collapsible self-supporting container, useful as a cooler includes a lid, a base panel, a front wall, a rear wall and a pair of side walls together forming a collapsible box defining an interior chamber for receiving items to be stored and/or cooled, and a rigid rectangular frame below the lid and surrounding an opening for accessing the chamber. The body is selectably configurable between collapsed and expanded configurations. The front and rear walls are flexibly attached to both the frame and the base panel and have separate top and bottom panels flexibly joined together. The side walls are flexibly attached to the frame and are engageable with the base panel. An optional collapsible liner is insertable within the container body.

1 . A collapsible self-supporting container comprising a self-supporting container body defining an inner chamber for receiving items to be stored therein and an opening for accessing the chamber, the opening being bounded by a rectangular frame comprising a front member, a rear member, a first side member, and a second side member; the self-supporting container body being selectably configurable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded operational configuration;
 the container body further comprising:   an openable lid having dimensions suitable for engaging the frame to seal the opening of the chamber;   a rectangular base panel having a front edge, a rear edge, a first side edge, and a second side edge;   a rectangular front wall including a bottom edge flexibly attached to the front edge of the base panel and generally coterminal therewith, a top edge flexibly attached to the front member of the frame and generally coterminal therewith, a first side edge, and a second side edge; the front wall being composed of a rectangular upper panel and a rectangular lower panel flexibly attached to the upper panel thereof;   a rectangular rear wall having the same height and width as the front wall and including a bottom edge flexibly attached to the rear edge of the base panel and generally coterminal therewith, a top edge flexibly attached to the rear member of the frame and generally coterminal therewith, a first side edge, and a second side edge; the rear wall being composed of a rectangular upper panel and a rectangular lower panel flexibly attached to the upper panel thereof;   a first side wall flexibly attached to the first side member of the frame and generally coterminal therewith, the first side wall having the same height as the front and rear panels;   a second side wall flexibly attached to the second side member of the frame and generally coterminal therewith, the second side wall having the same height and width as the first side wall;   the bottom edges of the first and second side walls being releasably engageable with the respective first and second side edges of the base panel;   wherein, in the expanded operational configuration, the side edges of the first and second side walls meet the respective side edges of the front and rear walls along generally parallel lines, and the bottom edges of the first and second side walls are engaged with the respective first and second side edges of the base panel, to form a box-shaped container body that is self supporting; and in the collapsed configuration, the side walls are disengaged from the side edges of the base panel and are folded inward toward one another, the front and rear walls are folded inward at the hinged portion between the respective upper and lower panels thereof, and the frame and lid are displaced toward the base panel.   
   
   
       2 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the side walls are rigid panels. 
   
   
       3 . The container of  claim 1  further comprising a collapsible liner within the container body, and configurable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. 
   
   
       4 . The container of  claim 3  wherein the liner is substantially water tight. 
   
   
       5 . The container of  claim 3  wherein the liner is formed from plastic material. 
   
   
       6 . The container of  claim 3  wherein the liner is removable from the container body. 
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the lid, front wall, rear wall, base panel and side walls of the container body are made of one or more molded plastic materials. 
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the container body comprises a thermal insulating material. 
   
   
       9 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the lid is flexibly attached to the rear member of the frame. 
   
   
       10 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the upper and lower panels of the front and rear walls each have generally the same width and height. 
   
   
       11 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the first and second side walls each include a handle. 
   
   
       12 . A portable cooler, comprising:
 a self-supporting container body defining an insulated inner chamber for receiving items to be stored therein and an opening for accessing the chamber, the opening being bounded by a rectangular frame comprising a front member, a rear member, a first side member, and a second side member; the self-supporting container body being selectably configurable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded operational configuration;   the container body further comprising:   an openable lid having dimensions suitable for engaging the frame to seal the opening of the chamber;   a rectangular base panel having a front edge, a rear edge, a first side edge, and a second side edge;   a rectangular front wall including a bottom edge flexibly attached to the front edge of the base panel and generally coterminal therewith, a top edge flexibly attached to the front member of the frame and generally coterminal therewith, a first side edge, and a second side edge; the front wall being composed of a rectangular upper panel and a rectangular lower panel flexibly attached to the upper panel thereof;   a rectangular rear wall having the same height and width as the front wall and including a bottom edge flexibly attached to the rear edge of the base panel and generally coterminal therewith, a top edge flexibly attached to the rear member of the frame and generally coterminal therewith, a first side edge, and a second side edge; the rear wall being composed of a rectangular upper panel and a rectangular lower panel flexibly attached to the upper panel thereof;   a first side wall flexibly attached to the first side member of the frame and generally coterminal therewith, the first side wall having the same height as the front and rear panels;   a second side wall flexibly attached to the second side member of the frame and generally coterminal therewith, the second side wall having the same height and width as the first side wall;   the bottom edges of the first and second side walls being releasably engageable with the respective first and second side edges of the base panel;   wherein, in the expanded operational configuration, the side edges of the first and second side walls meet the respective side edges of the front and rear walls along generally parallel lines and the bottom edges of the first and second side walls are engaged with the respective first and second side edges of the base panel, to form a box-shaped container body that is self supporting; and in the collapsed configuration, the side walls are disengaged from the side edges of the base panel and are folded inward toward one another, the front and rear walls are folded inward at the hinged portion between the respective upper and lower panels thereof, and the frame and lid are displaced toward the base panel;   and wherein one or more of the lid, base panel, front wall, rear wall, and side walls are thermally insulated.   
   
   
       13 . The cooler of  claim 12  wherein each of the first and second side walls includes a handle. 
   
   
       14 . The cooler of  claim 12  further comprising a collapsible liner within the container body, and collapsible between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. 
   
   
       15 . The cooler of  claim 14  wherein the liner is substantially water tight. 
   
   
       16 . The cooler of  claim 14  wherein the liner is removable from the container body. 
   
   
       17 . The cooler of  claim 12  wherein the lid, front wall, rear wall, base panel and side walls of the container body are made of one or more molded plastic materials. 
   
   
       18 . The cooler of  claim 12  wherein the lid is flexibly attached to the rear member of the frame. 
   
   
       19 . The cooler of  claim 12  wherein the upper and lower panels of the front and rear walls each have generally the same width and height. 
   
   
       20 . The cooler of  claim 12  wherein the side walls are generally rigid.