Ice Storage Bag for use with a Cooler

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of ice chest or cooler accessories, particular systems to keep the interior of a cooler from accumulating ice melt.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Coolers are often used for camping, boating, fishing, vacations, road-trips, and picnics.

To keep contents cool, the cooler is typically filled with ice cubes. After emptying ice into the cooler the melting process begins creating a buildup of ice melt which often leads to soggy contaminated food products and a significant amount of water build-up inside coolers.

This invention was created to combat the problem of first, preventing ice melt from spoiling food products and second, buildup of ice melt in coolers.

Consisting of a simple construction, the ice storage bag is an improvement to prior art. The ice storage bag is: easy to fill, refill, empty, able to withstand a 20 lb bag of ice, easy to store, Eco-friendly, certified food safe, machine washable, supple, and impermeable.

Known drawbacks to prior art: zippers, slide bars, buckles, nozzles, spouts, unsustainable, and bulky. These components have presented known problems such as: difficult to close, leakage, broken seals, components not working as well or not at all due to repeated use, and space limitations in the cooler due to bulkiness of handles and spouts. Other problems noted include: need for assembling, additional parts not attached to main body can result in misplaced or lost parts, sustainability in terms of limited use, not being Eco-friendly, cleanliness/bacterial issues due to inability to withstand machine washing, and low capacity limitations with most prior art capacity of a 2.5 lb limit.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises an ice storage bag accessory for a cooler.

The principal object of the disclosed ice storage bag is to keep ice melt from entering cooler to prevent saturating food products.

It is still another object of the disclosed ice storage bag to prevent ice melt buildup in the cooler for ease of cleaning.

It is still another object of the disclosed ice storage bag to be manufactured with impermeable, supple, Eco-friendly, food safe material.

It is yet another object of the disclosed ice storage bag to have a capacity to withstand up to 20 lbs.

It is a further object of the disclosed ice storage bag to eliminate the need for rigid food storage containers used to protect food in coolers.

It is still yet a further object of the disclosed ice storage bag to withstand machine washing.

Lastly, it is a further object of the disclosed ice storage bag to fold or roll-up for ease of storage after use.

The disclosed ices storage bag is easily filled with ice cubes. The drawstring located at the top of the ice storage bag provides a tight, secure closure. The ice storage bag is placed in an upright position in a cooler. To refill disclosed ice storage bag the drawstring is loosened allowing the ice storage bag to be easily filled with ice cubes. The disclosed ice storage bag is then re-tightened with the drawstring. To drain the ice storage bag, the drawstring remains securely tightened at the upper portion of the ice storage bag and when held upside down allows water to exit the ice storage bag while retaining remaining ice cubes. Located at the base of the ice storage bag is a handle used for holding the ice storage bag upside down for the purpose of draining water. The ice storage bag can either be held or hung by this handle. The ice storage bag can be easily stored by rolling or folding and securing it by the drawstring. Three seams of the ice storage bag are welded to prevent leakage. The ice storage bag's components consist of fabrics that are supple, impermeable, Eco-friendly, machine washable and are food safe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompany drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. They are meant to be exemplary illustrations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to practice the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the disclosed ice storage bag, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a back perspective view of the disclosed ice storage bag, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view that illustrates the first step in how large bags of ice are emptied into disclosed ice storage bag.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view that illustrates the second step in how large bags of ice are emptied into disclosed ice storage bag.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view that illustrates how disclosed ice storage bag is closed.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view that illustrates how disclosed ice storage bag is to be used in a cooler.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view that illustrates how disclosed ice storage bag is refilled with ice.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view that illustrates how disclosed ice storage bag empties ice melt.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view that illustrates in which manner disclosed ice storage bag can be stored.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Subject matter will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of illustrations, specific exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of disclosed ice storage bag 100 for use in coolers. The front panel 101 of the ice storage bag 100 is constructed of a machine washable, 100% Eco-friendly, certified food safe, supple, and impermeable fabric and is welded 107 on the sides and bottom onto the back panel 102 by using ultra sonic, radio frequency, or thermal means. The upper section of the ice storage bag 103 is constructed of a machine washable, Eco-friendly, reinforced, lightweight fabric and is sewn 109 onto the front panel 101 and back panel 102 of the ice storage bag, a drawstring 104 is threaded through the hem of the upper section 103 in which a drawstring stopper 105 is attached. The front panel 101 and back panel 102 of the ice storage bag 100 is sewn 108 the full length across the base to allow a handle 106 to be threaded across the base.

FIG. 2 illustrates a back perspective view of disclosed ice storage bag. The upper portion of ice storage bag does not have an opening and is continuous.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front 101 perspective view of disclosed ice storage bag 100 and demonstrates in which manner the disclosed bag 100 is filled with ice 110. The ice 110 sits on the ground 111 and the bag 100 is placed over the ice 110.

FIG. 4 illustrates disclosed ice storage bag 100 flipped over allowing the ice 110 to enter and fill disclosed ice storage bag 100.

FIG. 5 illustrates the empty ice bag 110 removed after filling disclosed ice storage bag 100. The disclosed ice storage bag 100 is closed with the drawstring 104 and tighten with stopper 105.

FIG. 6 The disclosed ice storage bag 100 can now be placed into cooler 112. The closed end of the disclosed ice storage bag 100 faces up while the bottom portion of the ice storage bag 100 rests on the base of the cooler.

FIG. 7 illustrates lowering of the stopper 105 down the drawstring 106 allowing the ice storage bag 100 to open widely and be refilled with ice 110.

FIG. 8 illustrates in which manner disclosed ice storage bag 100 is drained of ice melt. The handle 106 is used to hold disclosed ice storage bag 100 while ice melt exits. The drawstring 104 remains closed and remaining ice is held in by stopper 105 allowing only ice melt to exit.

FIG. 9 illustrates the ice storage bag 100 rolled-up for easy storage when not in use. The ice storage bag 100 is rolled-up and the drawstring 104 wraps around the body of the ice storage bag 100 to secure the ice storage bag 100 from unraveling.

It is to be understood that while a preferred embodiment of the invention is described, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in specification and/or drawings.

It shall be noted that those skilled in the art will readily recognize numerous adaptations and modifications which will result in an improved invention, yet all of which will fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.