Insulating container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11970313-B2
Application number	US-202217743075-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2022
Priority date	Dec 12, 2018
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

An insulating container having a base and a lid is provided. The lid may be rotatable about a hinge from a closed configuration to an open configuration and may be secured, via one or more latching devices, in the closed configuration. In some examples, the insulating container further includes a pull handle assembly with a telescopic three-stage arm configuration defined by a stowed configuration, a partially extended configuration, and a fully extended configuration. In other examples, the insulating container further includes a wheel assembly with a pair of wheels mounted with one or two axles, and further including a wheel grommet for absorbing shock and cushioning the axle. In still other examples, the insulating container further includes a drain plug assembly on the rear sidewall adjacent to the bottom portion of the base, the drain plug assembly comprising a main tube that cooperatively engages with an outer tube with a plurality of ratchet teeth that engage one or more ratchet keys on the main tube.

First claim

We claim:

1. An insulating container comprising:
a base;
a lid hingedly attached to the base;
the base including:
a sidewall structure having a front sidewall, a rear sidewall opposite the front sidewall, and two lateral sidewalls between the front sidewall and the rear sidewall;
a bottom portion connected to a first end of each sidewall of the sidewall structure, the bottom portion being configured to support the insulating container on a surface;
an opening formed at a second end of each sidewall of the sidewall structure, opposite the first end of each sidewall of the sidewall structure, the opening being configured to allow access to an interior void of the insulating container formed by the sidewall structure and the bottom portion, wherein a gasket is configured to provide a watertight seal when the lid is in a closed and secured position; and
at least one latch device configured to secure the lid when the lid is in a closed position, wherein the at least one latch device further includes:
a latch upper wherein a top portion of the latch upper is pivotally attached to the lid; and
a latch lower wherein a top portion of the latch lower is pivotally attached to a bottom portion of the latch upper,
wherein the latch lower further includes an engaging tab,
wherein the engaging tab is configured to engage a keeper,
wherein the keeper is positioned on a front side of the bottom portion of the insulating container when the lid is secured in the closed position, and
wherein the latch upper and the latch lower are configured in a recessed position, and flush with a front side of the lid and flush with a front side of a bottom portion of the insulating container when the latch device secures the lid in a closed position; and

a pull handle assembly attached to the rear sidewall, the pull handle assembly with a telescopic three-stage arm configuration defined by a first stage with the pull handle assembly in a stowed configuration, a second stage with the pull handle assembly in a partially extended configuration, and a third stage with the pull handle assembly in a fully extended configuration, the pull handle assembly including an upper arm, a middle arm, and a lower arm, with the upper arm nested and slidable inside the middle arm, and the middle arm nested and slidable inside the lower arm thereby creating the telescopic three-stage arm configuration, wherein the pull handle assembly includes two pull handle arms with a pull handle with one or more pull handle bumpers located on each of the pull handle arms that include a raised portion that extends circumferentially around the pull handle.

2. The insulating container of claim 1 , wherein the pull handle assembly is attached to the rear sidewall with one or more brackets, the one or more brackets are U-shaped brackets that fit around an exterior of the lower arm against the rear sidewall.

3. The insulating container of claim 1 , wherein the lid includes a step portion located adjacent the rear sidewall, the step portion includes an inset portion from a top surface of the lid.

4. The insulating container of claim 1 , wherein the pull handle assembly further includes one or more locking mechanisms for locking the pull handle assembly in the stowed configuration and the fully extended configuration, with an upper locking mechanism between the upper arm and the middle arm and a lower locking mechanism between the middle arm and the lower arm.

5. The insulating container of claim 4 , wherein the pull handle assembly further includes a release button located on a pull handle, the release button connected to and actuating the one or more locking mechanisms to lock and release the pull handle assembly between the stowed configuration and the fully extended configuration.

6. The insulating container of claim 1 , wherein the pull handle assembly includes an extended arm overlap distance defined as an overlap distance between the nested arms when the upper arm, the middle arm, and the lower arm are in the fully extended configuration, the extended arm overlap distance being approximately 70 mm.

7. The insulating container of claim 1 further comprising:
a corner locking bracket that includes a container bracket attached to the base, a lid bracket attached to the lid, and a lock, wherein the container bracket includes a first lock hole and the lid bracket includes a second lock hole, wherein when the lid is in the closed and secured position, the first and second lock holes match together, thereby allowing the lock to be inserted into to the first and second lock holes.

8. An insulating container comprising:
a base;
a lid hingedly attached to the base;
the base including:
a sidewall structure having a front sidewall, a rear sidewall opposite the front sidewall, and two lateral sidewalls between the front sidewall and the rear sidewall;
a bottom portion connected to a first end of each sidewall of the sidewall structure, the bottom portion being configured to support the insulating container on a surface;
an opening formed at a second end of each sidewall of the sidewall structure, opposite the first end of each sidewall of the sidewall structure, the opening being configured to allow access to an interior void of the insulating container formed by the sidewall structure and the bottom portion, wherein a gasket is configured to provide a watertight seal when the lid is in a closed and secured position; and
at least one latch device configured to secure the lid when the lid is in a closed position, wherein the at least one latch device further includes:
a latch upper wherein a top portion of the latch upper is pivotally attached to the lid; and
a latch lower wherein a top portion of the latch lower is pivotally attached to a bottom portion of the latch upper,
wherein the latch lower further includes an engaging tab,
wherein the engaging tab is configured to engage a keeper,
wherein the keeper is positioned on a front side of the bottom portion of the insulating container when the lid is secured in the closed position, and
wherein the latch upper and the latch lower are configured in a recessed position, and flush with a front side of the lid and flush with a front side of a bottom portion of the insulating container when the latch device secures the lid in a closed position;

a wheel assembly located adjacent the rear sidewall, the wheel assembly including a pair of wheels on opposite sides of the rear sidewall, with each wheel mounted in a wheel housing with an axle to an axle bracket, and further including a wheel grommet located between the wheel housing and the axle bracket, the wheel grommet absorbing shock and cushioning the axle; and
a pull handle assembly attached to the rear sidewall adjacent to the bottom portion, the pull handle assembly with a telescopic three-stage arm configuration defined by a first stage with the pull handle assembly in a stowed configuration, a second stage with the pull handle assembly in a partially extended configuration, and a third stage with the pull handle assembly in a fully extended configuration, wherein the pull handle assembly includes two pull handle arms with a pull handle with one or more pull handle bumpers located on each of the pull handle arms that include a raised portion that extends circumferentially around the pull handle,
wherein when the pull handle assembly is in the fully extended configuration and the base is tilted, a weight of the insulating container is shifted onto the wheels to allow a user to pull and roll the insulating container.

9. The insulating container of claim 8 , wherein an exterior of each wheels extends toward the rear sidewall past the pull handle assembly providing tip protection to the i

Assignees

• Yeti Coolers Llc

Inventors

• Morris Liza
• Winterhalter Andrew J
• Secker Robert
• Bullock Dustin R
• Ruchte Elizabeth
• Nixon Ryan
• Sullivan Derek G
• Loudenslager John
• Fritz John
• Larson Erik Steven
• Harrison Lance
• Cieszko Michael Christopher

Classifications

• B65D43/164 Primary

  and connected by interfitting hinge elements integrally with the container and the lid formed respectively · CPC title

• B65D81/3834

  the external tray being formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls · CPC title

• A45C11/20 Primary

  Lunch or picnic boxes or the like · CPC title

• B65D43/22

  Devices for holding in closed position, e.g. clips · CPC title

• B65D45/20

  pivoted · CPC title