초록 ▼

An insulated container includes a bottom and four walls connected to the bottom; a top which fits on the four walls; a portion of the top is pivotally mounted so as to be opened to provide access to the insulated container through a first opening; a portion of one of the four walls is pivotally moun

An insulated container includes a bottom and four walls connected to the bottom; a top which fits on the four walls; a portion of the top is pivotally mounted so as to be opened to provide access to the insulated container through a first opening; a portion of one of the four walls is pivotally mounted so as to be opened to provide access to the insulated container through a second opening; wherein the first and second openings are contiguous to provide a combined access area to the container that extends across both the top and the one of the four walls.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An insulated container, comprising: a bottom and four walls connected to the bottom; a cover which fits on the four walls; a first portion of the cover is pivotally mounted to a second portion of the cover so as to be opened to provide access to the insulated container throug

What is claimed is: 1. An insulated container, comprising: a bottom and four walls connected to the bottom; a cover which fits on the four walls; a first portion of the cover is pivotally mounted to a second portion of the cover so as to be opened to provide access to the insulated container through a first opening; a first portion of one of the four walls is pivotally mounted to a second portion of the one of the four walls so as to be opened to provide access to the insulated container through a second opening, wherein the second opening is at a top of the one of the four walls and a width of the second opening is less than a width of the one of the four walls; wherein the first and second openings are contiguous to provide a combined access area to the container that extends across both the top and the one of the four walls; wherein each of the four walls and the cover have an inside layer and an outside layer and an insulating material arranged between the inside layer and the outside layer; and wherein an upper edge of each of the four walls includes a recessed ledge, and the cover includes a flange on four sides thereof that engages with the ledges of the four walls. 2. The insulated container according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the one wall includes a first edge and a second edge, and the first edge is hinged to a remainder of the one wall with a hinge. 3. The insulated container according to claim 2, wherein: the first portion of the cover includes a first edge and a second edge, and the first edge is pivotally mounted to a remainder of the cover, and the second edge is opposite the first edge; when the container is closed, the second edge of the first portion of the cover is adjacent the second edge of the first portion of the one wall. 4. The insulated container according to claim 1, wherein the insulated container is a parallelepiped. 5. The insulated container according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the one wall is a trapezoid with two parallel opposing sides and two nonparallel opposing sides. 6. The insulated container according to claim 1, wherein the container is made from rotationally molded plastic. 7. The insulated container according to claim 1, further comprising brackets mounted on at least two of the walls and one or more elastic cords, engageable with the brackets, for holding the cover in a closed position. 8. The insulated container according to claim 1, further comprising pads on the bottom of the insulated container. 9. The insulated container according to claim 1, further comprising a drain in the bottom of the container. 10. An insulated container, comprising: a bottom, four walls connected to the bottom; and a cover which fits on an upper edge of at least three of the walls so as to form a parallelepiped, wherein each of the four walls and the cover has an inside layer and an outside layer and an insulating material is arranged between the inside layer and the outside layer; a closable access opening, a first portion of the access opening extends through a top of the container and a second portion of the access opening, contiguous to the first portion, extends through one of the four walls, wherein a width of the second portion of the access opening is less than a width of the one of the four walls; and a first door component that is coplanar with the top and a second door component that is coplanar with the one wall; and wherein the upper edge of each of the four walls includes a recessed ledge, and the cover includes a flange on at least three sides thereof that engage with the ledges of the at least three walls. 11. The insulated container according to claim 10, wherein the second door component includes a first edge and a second edge, and the first edge is hinged to a remainder of the one wall with a hinge. 12. The insulated container according to claim 11, wherein: the first door component includes a first edge and a second edge, and the first edge is pivotally mounted to the cover and the second edge is opposite the first edge; and when the container is closed, the second edge of the first door component is adjacent the second edge of the second door component. 13. The insulated container according to claim 10, wherein the second door component is a trapezoid with two parallel opposing sides and two nonparallel opposing sides. 14. The insulated container according to claim 10, wherein the container is made from rotationally molded plastic. 15. The insulated container according to claim 10, further comprising brackets mounted on at least two of the walls and one or more elastic cords, engageable with the brackets, for holding the cover in a closed position. 16. The insulated container according to claim 10, further comprising pads on the bottom of the insulated container. 17. The insulated container according to claim 10, further comprising a drain in the bottom of the container. 18. The insulated container according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the one wall includes a first edge and a second edge, and the first edge is hinged to a remainder of the one wall with a hinge, wherein at least one portion of the hinge is slidably connected to the remainder of the one wall so that the first portion of the one wall can be lifted vertically prior to pivoting with respect to the remainder of the one wall. 19. The insulated container according to claim 10, wherein the second door component is hinged to a remainder of the one wall with a hinge, wherein at least one portion of the hinge is slidably connected to the remainder of the one wall so that the second door component can be lifted vertically prior to pivoting with respect to the remainder of the one wall. 20. An insulated container, comprising: a bottom and four walls connected to the bottom; a cover which fits on at least three of the four walls, wherein each of the bottom, the four walls, and the cover has an inside layer and an outside layer and an insulating material is arranged between the inside layer and the outside layer; a unitary opening extending through a top of the container and one of the four walls, the unitary opening providing an access to the container that extends through a part of the top of the container and a part of the one of the four walls, wherein a width of the unitary opening where it extends through the part of the one of the four walls is less than a width of the one of the four walls, and the unitary opening extends through less than all of the top; a first door component and a second door component, wherein the first door component is adapted to close a first portion of the unitary opening while leaving open a second portion of the unitary opening, and the second door component is adapted to close the second portion of the unitary opening while leaving open the first portion of the unitary opening; and wherein an upper edge of each of the four walls includes a recessed ledge, and the cover includes a flange on at least three sides thereof that engage with the ledges of the walls. 21. The insulated container according to claim 20, wherein the first door component includes a plurality of first regions having a first thickness, wherein adjacent first regions are connected to each other by a second region having a thickness less than the first thickness. 22. The insulated container according to claim 20, wherein the container is made from rotationally molded plastic. 23. An insulated container, comprising: a bottom, four walls connected to the bottom; and a cover which fits on the four walls so as to form a parallelepiped, wherein each of the bottom, the four walls, and the cover has an inside layer and an outside layer and an insulating material is arranged between the inside layer and the outside layer; a closable access opening extending through one of the four walls at a top edge of the one wall; the one wall has edges defining the closable access opening; a door that closes the closable access opening, the door having edges; wherein one of the edges of the door and the edges defining the closable access opening includes a ridge extending along a length thereof, and the other of the edges of the access door and the edges defining the closable access opening includes a groove extending along a length thereof, wherein the ridge and groove are adapted to engage each other so as to hold the access door in place on the one wall; wherein the four walls include a recessed ledge at an upper edge thereof and the cover includes a flange that is adapted to engage the recessed ledge; wherein the container is made from rotationally molded plastic; and further comprising brackets mounted on at least two of the walls and one or more elastic cords, engageable with the brackets, for holding the cover in a closed position. 24. The insulated container according to claim 23, wherein the door is a trapezoid with two parallel opposing edges and two nonparallel opposing edges. 25. The insulated container according to claim 24, wherein the two nonparallel opposing edges and a bottom edge of the access door include the groove extending therealong. 26. An insulated container, comprising: a bottom, four walls connected to the bottom; and a two piece cover which fits on the four walls so as to form a parallelepiped, wherein each of the bottom and the four walls has an inside layer and an outside layer and an insulating material is arranged between the inside layer and the outside layer; a closable access opening extends through one of the four walls at a top edge of the one wall; the one wall has edges defining the closable access opening; a door that closes the access opening; wherein one piece of the cover covers the one wall and can be opened leaving a second piece of the cover covering a portion of the top of the container, and when the access door and the one piece of the cover are opened, a contiguous opening at the top of the container is formed in the top of the container and the closable access opening; and wherein the four walls include a recessed ledge at an upper edge thereof and the cover includes a flange that is adapted to engage the recessed edge. 27. The insulated container according to claim 26, wherein one of the door and the edges defining the closable access opening includes a ridge extending along a length thereof, and the other of the door and the edges defining the closable access opening includes a groove extending along a length thereof, wherein the ridge and groove are adapted to engage each other so as to hold the door in place on the one wall. 28. The insulated container according to claim 26, wherein a top edge of the door includes a recessed ledge that engages the flange of the top. 29. The insulated container according to claim 28, wherein the door is a trapezoid with two parallel opposing edges and two nonparallel opposing edges. 30. The insulated container according to claim 29, wherein the two nonparallel opposing edges and a bottom edge of the access door include the groove extending therealong. 31. The insulated container according to claim 26, wherein the container is made from rotationally molded plastic. 32. The insulated container according to claim 26, further comprising brackets mounted on at least two of the walls and one or more elastic cords, engageable with the brackets, for holding the top in a closed position.