Ice Storage Bag for use with a Cooler

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.

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.

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.

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.

illustrates a front perspective view of disclosed ice storage bagfor use in coolers. The front panelof the ice storage bagis constructed of a machine washable, 100% Eco-friendly, certified food safe, supple, and impermeable fabric and is weldedon the sides and bottom onto the back panelby using ultra sonic, radio frequency, or thermal means. The upper section of the ice storage bagis constructed of a machine washable, Eco-friendly, reinforced, lightweight fabric and is sewnonto the front paneland back panelof the ice storage bag, a drawstringis threaded through the hem of the upper sectionin which a drawstring stopperis attached. The front paneland back panelof the ice storage bagis sewnthe full length across the base to allow a handleto be threaded across the base.

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.

illustrates a frontperspective view of disclosed ice storage bagand demonstrates in which manner the disclosed bagis filled with ice. The icesits on the groundand the bagis placed over the ice.

illustrates disclosed ice storage bagflipped over allowing the iceto enter and fill disclosed ice storage bag.

illustrates the empty ice bagremoved after filling disclosed ice storage bag. The disclosed ice storage bagis closed with the drawstringand tighten with stopper.

The disclosed ice storage bagcan now be placed into cooler. The closed end of the disclosed ice storage bagfaces up while the bottom portion of the ice storage bagrests on the base of the cooler.

illustrates lowering of the stopperdown the drawstringallowing the ice storage bagto open widely and be refilled with ice.

illustrates in which manner disclosed ice storage bagis drained of ice melt. The handleis used to hold disclosed ice storage bagwhile ice melt exits. The drawstringremains closed and remaining ice is held in by stopperallowing only ice melt to exit.

illustrates the ice storage bagrolled-up for easy storage when not in use. The ice storage bagis rolled-up and the drawstringwraps around the body of the ice storage bagto secure the ice storage bagfrom 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.