Cooler having apparatus for selectively storing or deploying trays

Claim 1

In an ice chest having an insulated container with a bottom, substantially planar sides, and an insulated lid for the container, and means for connecting the lid to the container for closing the container, the improvement comprising: a plurality of trays having means to permit stacking of said trays relative to each other; means for releasably holding said stacked trays on the lid of the container; means for mounting said trays perpendicularly to the sides of said container, said mounting means comprising: groove means laterally disposed along an outer surface of top edges of the substantially plaNar sides of said container and opening in a direction laterally outwardly with respect to the container; protuberance means disposed on one edge of each of said trays for being selectively receivable in said groove means, said protuberance means being complimentary in shape with the groove means and being at least substantially as long in longitudinal length as the groove means, to provide lateral support thereof, said protuberance means further lying generally in a horizontal plane when said trays are in a horizontally deployed position; brace means for engaging a portion of the sides of said container below the groove means and engaging a portion of each of said trays remote from said one edge of said trays; a first opening in the bottom of each of said trays adjacent said one edge; a projection means on said brace means for being selectively slideably received into and out from said first opening; a second opening on the bottom of each of said trays remote from said first opening; and a second projection means on said brace means for being selectively slideably received into and out from said second opening.

Claim 5

The device of claim wherein said first compartment has snap means for opening one end of said compartment.