Thermally insulated portable chest

Claim 2

An article of manufacture for holding a plurality of containers in a thermally insulated environment comprising a one piece thermally insulated rigid plastic foam portable rectangular parallelepipedic shaped chest, said chest including a base member having a rectangular bottom with walls extending upwardly from the edges of said bottom, the upper edges of said walls being in a common plane, material integral with said bottom and extending between at least two of said walls and defining at least two compartments, each of said compartments conforming in general size and shape to the containers so as to snugly accommodate a container, substantially all of the uppermost surface of the material forming each of said compartments being in a common plane which is below and parallel to the plane defined by the upper edges of said walls, the bottom of each of said compartments having a smaller cross sectional area than the upper portion thereof, first and second ears extending outwardly from the upper portions of opposed walls, said chest further including a one piece rigid plastic foam cover member having a depending portion for snugly fitting within the inside surfaces of the upper most portions of said walls and abutting the uppermost portions of containers placed in said compartment so that the containers are snugly held and prevented from freely moving, said cover further including first and second opposed tabs, said first tab in registry with and overlaying said first ear and said second tab in registry with and overlying said second ear, said chest additionally including a handle means extending through said first ear, said first tab, said second tab and said second ear for preventing said cover member from being moved more than a predetermined distance from said chest and means captively attaching said handle means to said first and second ears.

Claim 3

A thermally insulated portable chest comprising substantially rigid plastic foam material defining a thermally insulated environment and defining a predetermined shape and size designed to hold a plurality of containers in said environment, a base member molded from plastic foam, the base member having cavity means therein defining a plurality of compartments of substantially cylindrical cavities, each of said compartments being open at one end and closed at an opposite end, each of said cavities conforming in general size and shape to dimensions of a predetermined container such that said container is snugly accommodatable by said cavities of respective each of said compartments, a cover member molded from plastic foam and adapted to interlockingly engage the base member and overlie the open end of the compartment to effectuate a thermal seal, handle means secured to the base member for providing a carrying support, said handle means including an elongated member having two ends, the base member further including a flange portion on opposed sides thereof, and said flange portion having means associated therewith for anchoring each of the ends of the elongated member in each of the respective flange portions, wherein the diameter of the open end of the compartment is larger than the diameter at the closed end of the compartment to facilitate the entry and removal of a container, wherein the open end of each compartment contains at least one depression around the periphery of the opening, said depression extending the opening an amount sufficient to permit access to a container within the compartment for removing the same, and wherein the coveR member has a depending circular shaped ring portion overlying the open end of the compartment and is adapted for abutting contact with a container placed therein having a self-opening tab in the top surface.

Claim 4

A thermally insulated portable chest comprising substantially rigid plastic foam material defining a thermally insulated environment and defining a predetermined shape and size designed to hold a plurality of containers in said environment, a base member molded from plastic foam, the base member having cavity means therein defining a plurality of compartments of substantially cylindrical cavities, each of said compartments being open at one end and closed at an opposite end, each of said cavities conforming in general size and shape to dimensions of a predetermined container such that said container is snugly accommodatable by said cavities of respective each of said compartments, a cover member molded from plastic foam and adapted to interlockingly engage the base member and overlie the open end of the compartment to effectuate a thermal seal, handle means secured to the base member for providing a carrying support, said handle means including an elongated member having two ends, the base member further including a flange portion on opposed sides thereof, and said flange portion having means associated therewith for anchoring each of the ends of the elongated member in each of the respective flange portions, wherein the diameter of the open end of the compartment is larger than the diameter at the closed end of the compartment to facilitate the entry and removal of a container, wherein the open end of each compartment contains at least one depression around the periphery of the opening, said depression extending the opening an amount sufficient to permit access to a container within the compartment for removing the same, and wherein the coveR member has a depending circular shaped ring portion overlying the open end of the compartment and is adapted for abutting contact with a container placed therein having a self-opening tab in the top surface.

Claim 5

A thermally insulated portable chest comprising substantially rigid plastic foam material defining a thermally insulated environment and defining a predetermined shape and size designed to hold a plurality of containers in said environment, a base member molded from plastic foam, the base member having cavity means therein defining a plurality of compartments of substantially cylindrical cavities, each of said compartments being open at one end and closed at an opposite end, each of said cavities conforming in general size and shape to dimensions of a predetermined container such that said container is snugly accommodatable by said cavities of respective each of said compartments, a cover member molded from plastic foam and adapted to interlockingly engage the base member and overlie the open end of the compartment to effectuate a thermal seal, handle means secured to the base member for providing a carrying support, said handle means including an elongated member having two ends, the base member further including a flange portion on opposed sides thereof, and said flange portion having means associated therewith for anchoring each of the ends of the elongated member in each of the respective flange portion, wherein the diameter of the open end of the compartment is larger than the diameter at the closed end of the compartment to facilitate the entry and removal of a container, wherein the open end of each compartment contains at least one depression around the periphery of the opening for providing access means to a container within the compartment for removing same, said depression extending the opening an amount sufficient to permit access to a container within the compartment for removing same, and wherein the cover member has a depending circular portion overlying the open end of the compartment and is adapted for abutting contact with a container placed therein and having a flush top surface.

Claim 6

A thermally insulated portable chest comprising substantially rigid plastic foam material defining a thermally insulated environment and defining a predetermined shape and size designed to hold a plurality of containers in said environment, a base member molded from plastic foam, the base member having cavity means therein defining a plurality of compartments of substantially cylindrical cavities, each of said compartments being open at one end and closed at an opposite end, each of said cavities conforming in general size and shape to dimensions of a predetermined container such that said container is snugly accommodatable by said cavities of respective each of said compartments, a cover member molded from plastic foam and adapted to interlockingly engage the base member and overlie the open end of the compartment to effectuate a thermal seal, handle means secured to the base member for providing a carrying support, said handle means including an elongated member having two ends, the base member further including a flange portion on opposed sides thereof, and said flange portion having means associated therewith for anchoring each of the ends of the elongated member in each of the respective flange portion, wherein the diameter of the open end of the compartment is larger than the diameter at the closed end of the compartment to facilitate the entry and removal of a container, wherein the open end of each compartment contains at least one depression around the periphery of the opening for providing access means to a container within the compartment for removing same, said depression extending the opening an amount sufficient to permit access to a container within the compartment for removing same, and wherein the cover member has a depending circular portion overlying the open end of the compartment and is adapted for abutting contact with a container placed therein and having a flush top surface.

Claim 7

A thermally insulated portable chest as claimed in claim 3 wherein the bushing sleeve further projects through the cover member and thereby serves to align the cover during placement over the base member.

Claim 8

A thermally insulated portable chest as claimed in claim 3 wherein the flange portion defines a hole therethrough for accommodating the handle means, and further includes a bushing sleeve extending through the said hole.

Claim 9

A thermally insulated portable chest as claimed in claim 5 wherein the plastic foam material is manufactured from a base of polystyrene having a non-interconnected cellular structure.