Soft-sided insulated container with hard-sided liner

Abstract

A soft-sided insulated container that has a rigid closure. The rigid closure has a first closure interface that is a passive friction fit in which one part wipes another. The rigid closure has a second closure interface that is an active closure in which a mechanical device, such as a latch or clamp, is used positively to energize a closure between different parts of the closure. The container has a vent. The latch operates to close the vent. The soft-sided insulated container has a soft-sided external casing, and a rigid internal liner that includes a mating rigid lid. There is a releasable securement that holds the liner in engagement with the casing, but that can be released to permit the casing to be extracted from the liner. The releasable securement is a one-way passively engageable securement.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A soft-sided insulated container assembly comprising:
 an insulated soft-sided external casing and an internal liner, the insulated soft-sided external casing having a releasable securement operable to retain said internal liner within said insulated soft-sided external casing;   said internal liner has a rigid rim that defines an opening of said liner providing access to a chamber formed within said liner;   a rigid lid member is hingedly mounted to said rigid rim; said rigid lid member being co-operable with said rigid rim and being movable between open and closed conditions to govern access to said chamber through said opening;   said chamber has a closure that is an active closure energized by a first latching mechanism and a second latching mechanism, said second latching mechanism being spaced from said first latching mechanism.   
     
     
         2 . The soft-sided insulated container assembly of  claim 1  wherein said liner is a rigid liner. 
     
     
         3 . The soft-sided insulated container assembly of  claim 2  wherein:
 said rigid rim is part of a peripheral frame that has a downwardly depending skirt that co-operates with said soft-sided external casing; 
 said skirt having a releasable one-way catch facing said insulated soft-sided external casing; 
 said soft-sided external casing having an uppermost peripheral margin; 
 said uppermost peripheral margin of said soft-sided external casing having a cleat facing toward said one way catch; 
 said cleat and said one-way catch being mutually engageable; 
 said one-way catch being releasable from said cleat; and 
 on insertion of said internal liner within said soft-sided external casing, said one-way catch engages said cleat of said uppermost peripheral margin of said soft-sided external casing to retain said liner within said soft-sided external casing. 
 
     
     
         4 . The soft-sided insulated container assembly of  claim 3  wherein said downwardly depending skirt is flexible away from said insulated soft-sided external casing to release said one-way catch. 
     
     
         5 . The soft-sided insulated container assembly of  claim 1  wherein said active closure includes a resilient seal mounted to said rigid rim, and said rigid rim is energized by being compressed by mating engagement with said rigid member of said lid when said first and second latching mechanisms are closed. 
     
     
         6 . The soft-sided insulated container assembly of  claim 5  wherein said seal includes a portion mounted to said rigid rim that is encountered by said lid in a friction fit. 
     
     
         7 . The soft-sided insulated container assembly of  claim 5  wherein said first latching mechanism is an over-center clamp. 
     
     
         8 . The soft-sided insulated container assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a vent, wherein operation of said first latching mechanism opens said vent. 
     
     
         9 . The soft-sided insulated container assembly of  claim 1  wherein said soft-sided external casing includes at least one water-tight envelope membrane. 
     
     
         10 . The soft-sided insulated container assembly of  claim 5  wherein said downwardly depending skirt is flexible away from said rigid liner to release said one-way catch; said seal includes a portion mounted to said rigid rim that is encountered by said lid in a friction fit; said first latching mechanism is an over-center clamp; said soft-sided insulated container assembly includes a vent; operation of said first latching mechanism closes said vent; and said soft-sided external casing includes at least one water-tight envelope membrane. 
     
     
         11 . A soft-sided insulated container assembly comprising:
 a first portion and a second portion;   the first portion having a soft-sided insulated wall structure that includes an upstanding soft-sided insulated peripheral wall;   said second portion mates releasably with said first portion;   said second portion including a movable member and a stationary member;   said movable member being operable to co-operate with said stationary member;   said stationary member includes a frame that extends about a peripheral lip of said first portion, and said frame defines an opening of said soft-sided insulated container assembly through which objects pass upon entry to an internal chamber of said soft-sided insulated container assembly;   said movable member of said second portion defining a rigid closure movable between an open position and a closed position to govern access to said internal chamber;   said rigid closure having a first securement and a second securement;   when said movable member is closed relative to said stationary member, said first securement and said second securement are operable to develop a locking force to energized said closure to retain said movable member in a closed position relative to said internal chamber.   
     
     
         12 . The soft-sided insulated container assembly of  claim 11  wherein said movable member is connected to said stationary member at a hinge; said first and second securements are first and second clamps operable to secure said movable member in said closed position relative to said stationary member; and said clamps are spaced apart from each other. 
     
     
         13 . The soft-sided insulated container assembly of  claim 12  wherein said first clamp is mounted in opposition to said hinge. 
     
     
         14 . The soft-sided insulated container assembly of  claim 12  wherein said container assembly includes a vent, and said first clamp is operable to close said vent; and, when said vent is closed, said soft-sided insulated container assembly is waterproof. 
     
     
         15 . The soft-sided insulated container assembly of  claim 11  wherein a resilient seal is mounted to said stationary member, and when said first and second securements are operated to develop said locking force, said resilient seal is placed in compression. 
     
     
         16 . The soft-sided insulated container assembly of  claim 15  wherein said one of said rigid closure member and said stationary member includes a wiper, and motion of said movable member relative to said stationary member occurs in friction fit engagement of said wiper. 
     
     
         17 . The soft-sided insulated container assembly of  claim 11  wherein said second portion defines a rigid liner that seats within said first portion; and, when said rigid liner is located within said first portion, said second portion is releasably secured to said first portion whereby said rigid liner is releasably secured to said upstanding soft-sided insulated peripheral wall of said soft-sided insulated wall structure. 
     
     
         18 . The soft-sided insulated container assembly of  claim 17  wherein said second portion is releasably secured to said first portion by one-way engagement fittings, said one-way engagement fittings having a releasable catch. 
     
     
         19 . The soft-sided insulated container assembly of  claim 17  wherein:
 said first portion has an uppermost peripheral margin; 
 said second portion includes a rigid liner that defines said internal chamber; 
 said rigid frame of said second portion is a peripheral frame that defines an access-way to said internal chamber; 
 said stationary member is defined by said peripheral frame; 
 said movable member is hingedly mounted to said peripheral frame; 
 said peripheral frame of said second portion includes an outermost downwardly depending skirt that overhangs said uppermost peripheral margin of said first portion; 
 said peripheral frame of said second portion has a releasable one-way catch facing said downwardly depending skirt; 
 said uppermost peripheral margin of said first portion has a cleat facing toward said depending skirt; 
 on insertion of said rigid liner of said second portion within said first portion, said one-way catch of said peripheral frame engages said cleat of said uppermost peripheral margin of said first portion to retain said rigid liner of said second portion within said first portion; and 
 said downwardly depending skirt is flexible away from said rigid liner to release said one-way catch. 
 
     
     
         20 . The soft-sided insulated container assembly of  claim 11  wherein said first portion includes at least one water-tight envelope membrane.