US2496296A - Portable refrigerated container - Google Patents

Description

FBba W Y LOBL m PORTABLE REFRIGERATED CONTAINER Filed Nov. 1, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1L m mw A &1 0 Th 119%? F. LOBL PORTABLE REFRIGERATED CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 1, 1945 INVENTOR Patented Feb. 7, 1950 l r UNITED STATES A'lENT OFFICE PORTABLE REFRIGERATED CONTAINER Frederick Lobl, Middleboro, Mass.

Application November 1, 1945, Serial No. 626,053

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in re-' frigerated containers and more particularly to portable containers suitable for holding and preserving in palatable and cooled condition various ously positioned for constituting one or more.

ice-filled dividing walls or for serving as an icecooled lining or linings for the enclosing walls of the main container, the inner containers being readily removable, shiftable and interchangeable and being adapted to hold cracked ice or ice cubes, or any other refrigerating material.

Another object is to provide a container within which are smaller generally flat containers which readily may be removed for filling them with ice or other refrigerant, and which then may be variously arranged and combined to define refriger.-.

ating chambers within the main container, The ice-filled walls provide ice-cooled surfaces with which the food may have direct contact.

Still another object is to provide a portable container having one or more conveniently shaped ice bags removably arranged interiorly to provide ice-lined walls and air-cooled chambers interiorly of the container for cooling and preserving food and liquids which may be packed in the main container.

Yet another object is to provide'in aportable container one or more smaller removable and shiftable generally flat refrigerant containers each having a capped filling opening whose cap may project relatively little beyond the plane of the wall which has the capped filling opening therein, the said refrigerant containerorcom tainers having rectangular, round or ovalcon tours and, "when selectively placed in the main container providing direct cooling surfaces for food, packaged or not, and for liquids in suitable receptacles, resting against the cooling surfaces, and serving also for cooling the airwithin the chamber or chambers of the main container.

A further object is to provide in a portable container one or more liquid receptacles 'of glass or of plastic material having generally the shapeof ill the previously mentioned refrigerant containers,"

said receptacles being removable and shiftable within the main container for constituting beverage-containing dividing or lining walls whose beverage may be cooled by the cooled air within the main container or by intimate contact of the receptacle walls with a cooling surface of a said refrigerant container.

It is, moreover, my purpose and object generally to improve upon prior refrigerating containers and more especially such containers of the portable variety.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerated container embodying features of my invention; Figure 2 is a similar view showing the interior of the container of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view looking into a refrigerated container similar to that of Figures 1 and 2 but having a different arrangement of refrigerant containers and showing food packed therei in and a beverage holding receptacle;

Figure 4 is a perspective of one of the refrigerant containers;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional type of lunch box having a Thermos bottle within its cover and having refrigerant inner containers shown in one arrangement according to the invention;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing a single refrigerant container at the bottom of the main container, with food packed thereon;

Figure '7 is a similar view showing still another interior arrangement, including a beverage or liquid-food-holding receptacle; Figures is a fragmentary perspective view, in

cross-section, showing a modified form in which the refrigerant container is slidably supported in the main container; and

Figure 9 is a perspective of another modification in which the main container has spaced inner and outer walls and the. refrigerant containers are arranged between the walls with perforations in the inner walls.

Referring to the drawings, my invention isapplicable to containers of various descriptions whose walls may have insulating material embodied therein or air spaces between plural-thick walls. In Figs. 1-3, the container body has a :double wall, formed of two sheets iii of wood, metal or other suitably strong and rigid material.-

If desired, the walls in may be molded of plastic orcomposition materials. All'six sides of the container, including the hinged cover l4, may be similarly constructed, and the space between the sheets or walls it may be filled with insulating materia i2, such as asbestos, or the space may be left vacant as a dead air space or may be utilized for insulating purposes according to any known procedure. Also, as will hereinafter appear, uninsulated single-thick walls may be used and be lined interiorly with refrigerant in accordance with my present disclosure.

The container body of Figs. 1-3 is provided interiorly with the vertically disposed. ribs E5 on opposite walls of the body. The ribs define a series of oppositely arranged grooves for reception of the removable and shiftable refrigerating parti-' tions indicated generally at it. fio'wever, the ribs 56 are representative of devices generally which may be utilized to retain the inner re-' frigerant containers in selected positions and ar= rangements and the invention in this regard is limited only as set forth in the appended claims. Actually no specific retaining means are required in particular embodiments as where the inner containers are selectively arranged and held by the food or other objects packed around them, as suggested in Figs. 54. Figs. 8 and 9 are indicative of other ways of supporting the inner con+ tainers, Fig. 9 showing how the inner surfaces of the mam container may be smooth and yet be cooled by the refrigerant containers.

It is an important feature of the invention that the partitions i8 are in the form of generally flat containers for holding a refrigerat ng substance. The walls of thesepartition-containers may be flexible, or rigid, and may be of various materials, either molded or otherwise formed. As examples of molded materials which may be employed, rubbei', plastics and composition materials, reinforced or not with fibres, are mentioned. Also sheet metal partition-containers may be used, and wood, especially laminated plywood, can be made suitably fiuid-tight to serve. one conveniently practicable variety of artition-com tainer is in the form of a removable flexible bag as shown. The bag preferably will be molded 6r otherwise formed of any suitable flexible material such as rubber so that its walls will be pliable and yield as may be needed when chunks of ice or ice cubes are within the bag. Also a pliable con= tainer or bag can be bent and deformed as may be convenient for accommodating food products being packed the main container. The refrigerant containers may be generally flat with rectangular edge contour or any other desired and suitable contour, such as oval or round, and each has a filling opening in a side wall thereof through which the container may be supplied with cracked ice, ice cubes or any other suitable refrigerant, liquid or solid. A liquid-sealing cap closure 22 closes the filling opening and may be combined wi :l the container in a manner to project little if any beyond the plane of the coiltainer wall.

In the case of flexible walled refrigerant con tainers l8, stiiiening ribs i9 (Fig. 4) may be proa vided at strategic locations on the flexible walls to stifien the container against collapse when standing on edge in the main container.

According to the invention, one or more intericrly placed, removable and shiftable r'e frigerant-holding containers 13 will be provided with each lunch box or other food container for constituting partitions or linings within the main container. Preferably, the containers is will b made in sets for use in particular sizes and varieties of main containers. For example, a set of two or more such containers i8 may be pro all vided for the main container of Figs. 1-3, to be selectively arranged as may be convenient or desirable. On the other hand, as shown in the modifications of Figs. 5 and 6, it may be desirable in some cases to arrange one or more or" the refrigerant containers [8 as ice-cooling linings for the ordinary walls of a lunch box, with or without means for maintaining the linings in place. As shown the lining containers is are maintained only by the food supplies packed thereagainst. Obviously the containers is may line one or all or" the walls, including one or more containers placed on top of the food supplies, with or without containers ill dividing the interior chamber. Hence, the set of interior containers 1&- ior a box similar to that of Figs. 5 and 6 may include several. refrigerant containers of various sires to serve either as cross-partitions or as wall linings. The invention also contemplates the provision of one or more liquid receptacles which will be removable and shiftable within a main container in the same manner that the refrigerant cont-aim ers are removable and shiftable. Such a receptacle is shown at 24 in Fig. 3 and at 26 in Fig. '7. This receptacle may be of glass or plastic or other suitable material, and preferably will have shape similar to the shape of the associated refrigerant containers i3, with a liquid sealing cap 21 for closing its filling opening. A receptacle 24 or 26, containing a beverage or other liquid, may be selectively arranged within the main container either against or adjacent to a refrigerant con tainer or as a dividing wall whose contents are cooled by air that is cooled by the refrigerant container or containers. 1

The main container as represented in Figs. 5- 7 is a commonly used type of lunch box haw ing provision in its cover 28 for holding a Thermos bottle 30 in a viell known manner. In each case,

such food or liquids as may be in contact with the refrigerant walls will be directly cooled, while at the same time the refrigerant filled containers cool the surrounding air in the food chamber or chambers.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig; 8, the refrigerant container [8' is formed. with the op po'sitely disposed projections 32 which provide shoulders which slidably' engage interior longitudinal ribs 34 on the main container walls, so that the container l8 may be shifted as desired along the ribs 34 as tracks.

Fig. 9 shows a double walle'd main container whose inner walls 36 are spaced from the outer Walls 38 sufiicient to permit the refrigerant con= tainers Hi to be slipped edgewise between them, thereby providing an interior food receiving chamber which may have smooth walls. The

inner walls preferably will be perforated as at 48 to better facilitate cooling of the air within the food chamber although the walls of the chamber will be directly cooled by contact with ther'efrig erant containers l8.

As heretofore suggested, the partition-containers l8 may be filled with cracked ice, ice cubes or other refrigerant. Also it is practicable to fill the containers with water and then freeze the water within the containers to provide solid cakes ofice which can serve in the described manner as partitions and linings within a main container.-

In Fig. 2, it is suggested that devices such as forks and spoons may be mounted interiorly of the cover I 4,; Also there are sockets :12 in the cover for holding the caps 22 of the refrigerant containers l8 when the box or any particular container 18 is not in use.-

1. A food cooling box comprising a mairrbox and at least one-smaller removable container adapted for selective arrangement within the main box as a lining for a-wall'of the main box and as a partition dividing the interior space of the main box into a plurality of food chambers, said removable container being a refrigerantholding container whereby at least one of its wall surfaces constitutes a refrigerating wall of a food chamber within the main box for cooling the air within the food chamber and for directly cooling food supplies resting thereagainst, and said main box and removable container having coacting plane surfaces whereby the removable container is slidably supported for sliding bodily movements along one wall of the main box while maintained in general parallelism with another wall of the main box toward which it is moved.

2. A food cooling box comprising a main box and at least one smaller refrigerant-holding container which is removable from the main box,

means for supporting a said refrigerant-holding container for longitudinal sliding movement within the main box for selective setting thereof as a refrigerating wall of a food chamber of the main box.

3. A. refrigerating container, comprising an outer container having a generall rectangular chamber therein, a generally rectangular inner container loosely disposed across said chamber as a partition and shiftable bodily along the bottom wall of said chamber to set the partition r selectively at any location between two opposite and parallel side walls of the chamber, said inner container having at least three relatively broad plane surfaces in close parallelism with three different walls of said chamber whereby coaction of said closely parallel surfaces and walls alone can maintain the inner container in general parallelism with said two opposite and parallel side walls of the chamber in all of its partitioning positions and during shifting of the inner container.

4. In a refrigerating container having a top wall, a bottom wall and four side walls defining a generally rectangular chamber therein, a refrigerant-holding partition for said chamber, comprising a generally rectangular container having two generally parallel walls, each facing a side wall of said chamber and each approximating in area the area of the side wall toward which it is facing, and having four relatively broad edge walls of which at least three are in close parallelism with three different walls of said chamber, one of said relatively broad edge walls constituting a base surface resting on and slidable along the bottom wall of said chamber and two others of said relatively broad edge walls coacting with the adjacent side walls of the said chamber to maintain the said two generally parallel walls of the inner container in general parallelism with said chamber side walls toward which they respectively are facing, said inner container being slidable bodily along the bottom wall of said' chamber selectively to any of a plurality of positions within said chamber.

5. A refrigerating container, comprising an outer container having a top wall, a bottom wall, and four side walls defining a generally rectangular chamber, an inner generally rectangular refrigerant-holding container having two opposite side walls each facing a side wall of the chamber and each of area approximating, the area 'of the sidewall toward which it is facing, and having an edge wall of breadth capable alone of supporting the inner container on the bottomwall of said chamber with its said opposite side walls in perpendicular relation to said bot-' tom wall of thenchamber andin general paral lelism with said side walls toward which they,

, respectively are facingsaid inner container, in

its said perpendicular relation to said bottom wall, being slidable on its supporting edge wall along the said bottom wall of the chamber to any of a plurality of positions within the chamber.

6. A refrigerating container, comprising an outer container having a top wall, a bottom wall and four side walls defining a generally rectangular chamber, an inner generally rectangular refrigerant-holding container having two opposite side walls each facing a side wall of the chamber and each of area approximating the area of the side wall toward which it is facing, and having an edge wall of breadth capable alone of supporting the inner container on the bottom wall of said chamber with its said opposite side walls in perpendicular relation to said bottom wall of the chamber and in general parallelism with said side walls toward which they respectively are facing, said inner container, in its said perpendicular relation to said bottom wall, being slidable on its supporting edge wall along the said bottom wall of the chamber to any of a plurality of positions within the chamber, and said inner container having opposite edge walls in close parallelism with two opposite side walls of the chamber and of breadth to maintain the said general parallelism of the opposite side walls of the inner container with the chamber side walls toward which they respectively are facing during sliding movements of the inner container in said chamber.

7. A refrigerating container, comprising outer walls defining a generally rectangular chamber, and a generally rectangular container within said chamber and shiftable therein between a position in which it rests fiatwise against a wall of said chamber and any of a plurality of positions in which it extends as a partition across said chamber to selectively divide said chamber into subchambers of different relative sizes, said shiftable container having length approximating the dimension between two opposite walls of said chamber and havin generally plane edge walls of substantial breadth on one of which the container stands in said partitioning positions of the shiftable container with two other edge walls in close parallelism with two opposite walls of said chamber, there being an opening in a wall of said shiftable container for filling it with refrigerant, and means removably clos ing said opening.

8. A refrigerating container, comprising outer walls defining a, generally rectangular chamber, a smaller container having flexible walls defining a generally rectangular refrigerant-holding chamber, said smaller container having a plane base wall of substantial dimensions, and said smaller container having its said base Wall resting slidably on a Wall of said chamber and alone supporting said smaller container in partitioning relation to said chamber, and slidable along said Wall of the chamber on which it rests to selectively locate the smaller container in any partitioning position intermediate of two opposite Walls of said chamber.

9. In a refrigerating container having a generally rectangular chamber therein, a generally rectangular flexible-Walled refrigerantholding container shiftable directly between a position in which it constitutes a refrigerating lining for a Wall of said chamber and selective partitioning positions in which it divides said chamber at selective locations along the chainber, said shiftable container having a relatively broad base surface capable alone of sup-porting the shiftable container on a Wall of said chambet, and there being, a relatively large fill opening in a Wall of said shiftable container, and

means removably sealin said opening and free from any substantial projection outward beyond the plane or" the wall through which said opening extends.

FREDERICK LOBL,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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