Hinged insulated container lid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9771204-B2
Application number	US-201514615878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2015
Priority date	Feb 6, 2014
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

An insulated container that includes a body and a lid assembly is described. The lid assembly may include a two-piece lid (e.g., two lids) connected with at least one linkage. The two lids may be operable to open in concert in response to a user asserting a single force applied on one of the lids. For example, the lid assembly may be configured such that the assertion of an opening force on one of the lids is transferred via the linkage to the other lid so that both lids open at a similar rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An insulated container comprising:
an insulated body having a bottom, a front wall, a back wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall, wherein the bottom, the front wall, the back wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall form a cavity with a top opening; and
a lid assembly comprising:
a first lid having a first end panel and a first top panel, the first lid pivotably attached to the insulated body at a first pivot axis, the first lid being pivotable about the first pivot axis between a first position where the first top panel extends over at least a portion of the top opening of the insulated body and the first end panel extends along at least a portion of the first side wall of the insulated body, and a second position where the first top panel is rotated away from extending over the portion of the top opening and the first end panel is rotated upward;
a second lid having a second end panel and a second top panel, the second lid pivotably attached to the insulated body at a second pivot axis, the second lid being pivotable about the second pivot axis between a third position where the second top panel extends over at least the portion of the top opening of the insulated body and the second end panel extends along at least the portion of the first side wall of the insulated body, and a fourth position where the second top panel is rotated away from extending over the portion of the top opening and the second end panel is rotated upward; and
a first linkage pivotably attached to the first end panel of the first lid at a first location and pivotably attached to the second end panel of the second lid at a second location, the first location being offset upward from the second location, wherein the first linkage causes the first lid to pivot about the first pivot axis and the second lid to pivot about the second pivot axis in response to an opening force being applied to one of the first lid or the second lid.

2. The insulated container of claim 1 , wherein the first lid is pivotably attached to the body at the first pivot axis adjacent the front wall of the insulated body and the second lid is pivotably attached to the insulated body at the second pivot axis adjacent the back wall of the insulated body.

3. The insulated container of claim 2 , wherein the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis comprise at least one of a barrel hinge, a pivot hinge, a strap hinge, or a formed hinge.

4. The insulated container of claim 1 , wherein the first lid comprises a first opposite end panel and the second lid comprises a second opposite end panel, the first opposite end panel extending along a portion of the second side wall of the insulated body when the first lid is in the first position, the second opposite end panel extending along the portion of the second side wall of the insulated body when the second lid is in the third position.

5. The insulated container of claim 4 , further comprising a second linkage pivotably attached to the first opposite end panel of the first lid at a first opposite location and pivotably attached to the second opposite end panel of the second lid at a second opposite location, wherein the second linkage causes the first lid to pivot about the first pivot axis and the second lid to pivot about the second pivot axis in response to the opening force being applied to one of the first lid or the second lid.

6. The insulated container of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the second end panel overlaps at least a portion of the first end panel.

7. The insulated container of claim 1 , wherein the opening force comprises a force asserted in a direction extending away from the top opening of the insulated body, and wherein, in response to the opening force being applied to one of the first lid or the second lid, the first lid pivots about the first pivot axis in accordance with an opening rate and a first opening curvature, and the second lid pivots about the second pivot axis in accordance with the opening rate and a second opening curvature, the first opening curvature opposite the second opening curvature.

8. The insulated container of claim 1 , wherein the first linkage comprises:
a first pin pivotably attaching the first end panel and a first end of a rigid strap at the first location; and
a second pin pivotably attaching the second end panel and a second end of the rigid strap at the second location.

9. The insulated container of claim 1 , wherein the first position corresponds to the first lid being in a closed position and the second position corresponds to the first lid being in an open position.

10. The insulated container of claim 1 , wherein the first lid is pivotably attached to the insulated body at the first pivot axis adjacent the first side wall of the insulated body and the second lid is pivotably attached to the insulated body at the second pivot axis adjacent the first side wall of the insulated body.

11. The insulated container of claim 10 , wherein the first location is positioned above the first pivot axis and rotates about the first pivot axis in response to the opening force, and wherein the second location is positioned below the second pivot axis and rotates about the second pivot axis in response to the opening force.

12. The insulated container of claim 1 , wherein the first lid is pivotably attached to the insulated body at a third pivot axis adjacent the second side wall of the insulated body and the second lid is pivotably attached to the insulated body at a fourth pivot axis adjacent to the second side wall of the insulated body.

13. The insulated container of claim 1 , wherein the first pivot axis comprises a first pin that extends from the first side wall through the first end panel of the first lid, and wherein the second pivot axis comprises a second pin that extends from the first side wall through the second end panel of the second lid.

14. The insulated container of claim 1 , wherein the first linkage comprises:
a first pin pivotably attaching the first end panel and a first end of a rigid strap at the first location, the rigid strap adjacent a first external surface of the first end panel; and
a second pin pivotably attaching the second end panel and a second end of the rigid strap at the second location, the first rigid strap adjacent a second external surface of the second end panel.

15. The insulated container of claim 1 , wherein access to the opening is unobstructed by either the first lid or the second lid when the first lid is in the second position and the second lid is in the fourth position.

16. The insulated container of claim 1 , wherein the first top panel of the first lid and the second top panel of the second lid form a contact seal with a top surface of the insulated body when the first lid is in the first position and the second lid is in the third position, the top surface of the insulated body defined by respective top surfaces of at least the front wall, the back wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall.

17. The insulated container of claim 1 , wherein the first linkage comprises:
a flexible member;
a first pin pivotably attaching the first end panel and a first end of the flexible member at the first location; and
a second pin pivotably attaching the second end panel and a second end of the flexible member at the second location, at least a portion of the flexible member inset within a first bottom portion of the first end panel and within a second bottom portion of the second end panel.

18. The insulated container of claim 17 , w

Assignees

• Coleman Co

Inventors

• Meether Stuart L
• Glazier Ricky J
• Elliott Mark

Classifications

• A45C11/20

  Lunch or picnic boxes or the like · CPC title

• B65D81/3816

  formed of foam material · CPC title

• B65D25/2835

  Swingable handles (B65D25/2867 and B65D25/2882 take precedence; bails B65D25/32) · CPC title

• B65D81/3813 Primary

  rigid container being in the form of a box, tray or like container · CPC title

• A45C13/005

  Hinges · CPC title