California Innovations Inc.

William Kearns

Richard C Stephens

Melvin S Mogil

Elizabeth Mitchell

Christopher Edwards

Mike Baatz

Evan R Olander

Yongbing Guo

Alexander Barattin

Jingchao Wu

Rick Stephens

Michael Baatz

Melvin Mogil

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.

Soft-sided insulated container with hard-sided liner

A container assembly has a soft-sided insulated wall structure. It has one or more internal chambers in which to place objects to be kept cool or warm. A first closure member governs access to the container assembly. The wall structure includes one or more accommodations in which to place a warming or cooling element, such as an ice pack. The accommodations in the outside walls are externally accessible without opening the main chamber, and have their own closure, and may be insulated. The inside is a thin web through which to transfer heat. An internal partition divides the container assembly into two chambers. The partition may have a thermal storage element. The container may be a collapsible foldable bag; a tote bag; back pack or a non-collapsible lunch box. The thermal storage elements may have a flat disk shape. The disks slide sideways into place in the respective accommodations.

Insulated container assembly with thermal storage accommodation

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 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.

A soft-sided insulated container assembly has a generally box-shaped form. The lid of the box defines a work surface on which to place objects such as foodstuffs and beverages. The work surface may be formed in a substantially rigid molded stiffener member, and may be divided into sub-regions with raised retainers to discourage sliding of objects where not precisely level. It may have an upstanding peripheral retainer. The work surface may be sunken relative to the periphery of the lid assembly.

Soft-sided insulated container with lid fitting

A container assembly has a soft-sided insulated wall structure. It has an internal chamber in which to place objects, such as foodstuffs, to be kept cool or warm. There is a first closure member that opens and closes to permit objects to be place in, or removed from, the chamber. The wall structure includes one or more accommodations in which to place a warming or cooling element, such as an ice pack. The accommodations are externally accessible without opening the main chamber, and have their own closure. The outside of the accommodation may be insulated; the inside is a thin web through which to transfer heat. The container may be a collapsible foldable bag; a tote bag; back pack or a non-collapsible lunch box. The thermal storage elements may have a flat disk shape. The external access for the thermal storage elements permits them to slide sideways into place.

A soft-sided insulated container assembly has a generally box-shaped form like a school lunch box, having a main body and a lid. The lid is formed of one of the largest panels of the box-structure, and is joined to the main body of the box by a hinge that lets the lid lie flat next to the main body when the box is open. The inside face of the lid then defines a work surface on which to place objects such as foodstuffs and beverages. The work surface may be formed in a substantially rigid molded stiffener member, and may be divided into sub-regions with raised retainers to discourage sliding of objects where not precisely level. The container assembly may include a rigid internal liner with which the lid may mate zipperlessly. The mating portion of the lid may be formed in the same rigid member as the work surface.

A soft sided insulated container assembly includes a first portion having an insulated, soft sided external wall structure, and a second portion that defined a lid co-operable with the first portion. The lid includes an auxiliary access opening and closure member that are smaller than the main opening, and that can be operated one-handed. A rigid work surface is provided, typically immediately adjacent to the secondary closure member, the work surface providing a place for holding or mixing a drink or for preparing a snack. In some embodiments the work surface may be movable relative to the container, whether slidable in a co-planar or parallel planar manner in translation, or folding as in a foldable shelf. The entire container assembly may be foldable or collapsible to a storage condition, and the rigid member, whether fixed or movable, does not impede that folding or collapsing.

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Brampton, Canada

William Kearns