Dual Beverage Cooler and Air Conditioner

Abstract

A dual beverage cooler and air conditioner can be used to both contain products in a cool environment, but also function as an air conditioner by using the air cooled in the cooler to cool users or surrounding areas. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner can include at least two extendable and articulatable tubes designed to be adjusted in length and direction to direct cooled air to a desired location to cool one or more users. It can also include a separate interior container to maximize cool surface area over which air must pass to provide a greater cooling effect in a cooler of reduced size.

Claims

1. A dual beverage cooler and air conditioner for transporting beverages and providing cooling air to users comprising: a cooler compartment configured to contain ice, water, and products to be kept in a cool or cold environment; an air conditioning compartment disposed above said cooler compartment and comprising an upper wall and a lower wall dividing said cooler compartment from said air conditioning compartment; said cooler compartment comprising at least one air intake vent configured to permit air to enter said cooler compartment from the surrounding environment; a fan mounted to said lower wall of said air conditioning compartment and configured to draw air through said at least one air intake vent and upwardly from said cooler compartment to said air conditioning compartment; an air-conducting arrangement disposed in said air conditioning compartment and configured to conduct air from said fan; said air-conducting arrangement comprising a central tube disposed to project through said lower wall to connect to said fan and at least two branch tubes configured to conduct air in at least two separate directions; at least two air outlet structures connected to said at least two branch tubes and projecting vertically through and out of said upper wall to supply cooled air to one or more users; and each of said at least two air outlet structures comprises an extendable and articulatable tube configured to be adjusted in length and direction to direct cooled air to a desired location to cool one or more users.

2. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner of claim 1, wherein: said dual beverage cooler and air conditioner further comprises an interior container disposed within said cooler compartment and configured to contain ice, water, and products to be kept in a cool or cold environment; and said interior container is configured to fit in a nesting manner in said cooler compartment with space between the outer surfaces of said interior container and the inner surfaces of said cooler compartment to form air passages therebetween to conduct air drawn through said at least one air intake vent and cool the passing air using the cooled outer surfaces of said interior container.

3. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner of claim 2, wherein said interior container comprises at least one ventilation opening in an upper portion thereof to permit air passing through said air passages to pass into the interior of said interior container and be further cooled by ice, water, and products to be kept in a cool or cold environment in said interior container.

4. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner of claim 3, wherein: said cooler compartment comprises a front cooler wall, a back cooler wall, a first side cooler wall, and a second side cooler wall; said at least one air intake vent comprises a first air intake vent disposed in said first side cooler wall and a second air intake vent disposed in said second side cooler wall; and each of said first air intake vent and said second air intake vent is disposed at or near the bottom of said cooler compartment such that air drawn by said fan from the external environment must pass upwardly over a substantial portion of the outer surfaces of said interior container to maximize the cooling effect on the air.

5. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner of claim 4, wherein said air conditioning compartment is attached on one side to said cooler compartment in the manner of a hinge to permit said air conditioning compartment to be pivoted away and towards said cooler compartment to permit a user to open and close said cooler compartment.

6. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner of claim 5, wherein: said air conditioning compartment comprises a first zipper portion; said cooler compartment comprises a second zipper portion; and said first zipper portion is configured to sealingly engage with said second zipper portion to permit a user to connect and disconnect said air conditioning compartment and said cooler compartment.

7. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner of claim 6, further comprising: a battery pocket disposed on the outside of said cooler compartment; a battery disposed in said battery pocket and operatively connected to said fan; and a manual switch disposed to project out of said air conditioning compartment to permit a user to turn said fan on and off.

8. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner of claim 7, wherein each of said at least two air outlet structures comprises a tapered nozzle to focus the air output.

9. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner of claim 8, further comprising an adjustable carrying strap attached to said first side cooler wall and said second side cooler wall.

10. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner of claim 9, wherein: each of said front cooler wall, said back cooler wall, said first side cooler wall, and said second side cooler wall comprises an insulated flexible material; and said interior container comprises a rigid plastic or metallic material.

11. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner of claim 2, wherein: said cooler compartment comprises a front cooler wall, a back cooler wall, a first side cooler wall, and a second side cooler wall; said at least one air intake vent comprises a first air intake vent disposed in said first side cooler wall and a second air intake vent disposed in said second side cooler wall; and each of said first air intake vent and said second air intake vent is disposed at or near the bottom of said cooler compartment such that air drawn by said fan from the external environment must pass upwardly over a substantial portion of the outer surfaces of said interior container to maximize the cooling effect on the air.

12. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner of claim 1, wherein said air conditioning compartment is attached on one side to said cooler compartment in the manner of a hinge to permit said air conditioning compartment to be pivoted away and towards said cooler compartment to permit a user to open and close said cooler compartment.

13. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner of claim 1, wherein: said air conditioning compartment comprises a first zipper portion; said cooler compartment comprises a second zipper portion; and said first zipper portion is configured to sealingly engage with said second zipper portion to permit a user to connect and disconnect said air conditioning compartment and said cooler compartment.

14. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner of claim 1, further comprising: a battery pocket disposed on the outside of said cooler compartment; a battery disposed in said battery pocket and operatively connected to said fan; and a manual switch disposed to project out of said air conditioning compartment to permit a user to turn said fan on and off.

15. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner of claim 1, wherein each of said at least two air outlet structures comprises a tapered nozzle to focus the air output.

16. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner of claim 1, further comprising an adjustable carrying strap.

17. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner of claim 2, wherein: said cooler compartment comprises an insulated flexible material; and said interior container comprises a rigid plastic or metallic material.

18. A dual beverage cooler and air conditioner for transporting beverages and providing cooling air to users comprising: a cooler compartment configured to contain ice, water, and products to be kept in a cool or cold environment; an air conditioning compartment disposed above said cooler compartment and comprising an upper wall and a lower wall dividing said cooler compartment from said air conditioning compartment; said cooler compartment comprising at least one air intake vent configured to permit air to enter said cooler compartment from the surrounding environment; a fan mounted to said lower wall of said air conditioning compartment and configured to draw air through said at least one air intake vent and upwardly from said cooler compartment to said air conditioning compartment; an air-conducting arrangement disposed in said air conditioning compartment and configured to conduct air from said fan; at least two air outlet structures connected to air-conducting arrangement and projecting vertically through and out of said upper wall to supply cooled air to one or more users; an interior container disposed within said cooler compartment and configured to contain ice, water, and products to be kept in a cool or cold environment; said interior container is configured to fit in a nesting manner in said cooler compartment with space between the outer surfaces of said interior container and the inner surfaces of said cooler compartment to form air passages therebetween to conduct air drawn through said at least one air intake vent and cool the passing air using the cooled outer surfaces of said interior container; and said at least one air intake vent being disposed at or near the bottom of said cooler compartment such that air drawn by said fan from the external environment must pass upwardly over a substantial portion of the outer surfaces of said interior container to maximize the cooling effect on the air.

19. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner of claim 18, wherein said interior container comprises at least one ventilation opening in an upper portion thereof to permit air passing through said air passages to pass into the interior of said interior container and be further cooled by ice, water, and products to be kept in a cool or cold environment in said interior container.

20. The dual beverage cooler and air conditioner of claim 19, wherein: said air-conducting arrangement comprises a central tube disposed to project through said lower wall to connect to said fan and at least two branch tubes configured to conduct air in at least two separate directions; said least two air outlet structures are connected to said at least two branch tubes; and each of said at least two air outlet structures comprises an extendable and articulatable tube configured to be adjusted in length and direction to direct cooled air to a desired location to cool one or more users.

Description

(i) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

[0013] The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dual beverage cooler and air conditioner according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

(j) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 7 thereof, a new dual beverage cooler and air conditioner embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

[0022] As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7, the dual beverage cooler and air conditioner 10 generally comprises a cooler compartment 12, an air conditioning compartment 14, a fan 16, an air-conducting arrangement 18, and at least two air outlet structures 20. The cooler compartment 12 is designed to contain ice 70, water, and products to be kept in a cool or cold environment, such as food or beverages 72. The air conditioning compartment 14 is positioned above the cooler compartment 12 and includes an upper wall 22 and a lower wall 24 dividing the cooler compartment 12 from the air conditioning compartment 14. The cooler compartment 12 includes at least one air intake vent 26 designed to permit air to enter the cooler compartment 12 from the surrounding environment. The fan 16 is mounted to the lower wall 24 of the air conditioning compartment 14 and designed to draw air through the at least one air intake vent 26 and upwardly from the cooler compartment 12 to the air conditioning compartment 14. The air-conducting arrangement 18 is positioned in the air conditioning compartment 14 and designed to conduct air from the fan 16. The air outlet structures 20 are connected to the air-conducting arrangement 18 and project vertically through and out of the upper wall 22 to supply cooled air to one or more users 74.

[0023] In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, the air-conducting arrangement 18 includes a central tube 28 positioned to project through the lower wall 24 to connect to the fan 16 and at least two branch tubes 30 designed to conduct air in at least two separate directions. The at least two air outlet structures 20 are connected to the at least two branch tubes 30. Each of the at least two air outlet structures 20 includes an extendable and articulatable tube 32 designed to be adjusted in length and direction to direct cooled air to a desired location to cool one or more users. In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, each of the at least two air outlet structures 20 includes a tapered nozzle 62 to focus the air output.

[0024] In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, an interior container 34 is positioned within the cooler compartment 12 and designed to contain ice 70, water, and products to be kept in a cool or cold environment. The interior container 34 is designed to fit in a nesting manner in the cooler compartment 12 with space between the outer surfaces of the interior container 34 and the inner surfaces of the cooler compartment 12 to form air passages 36 therebetween to conduct air drawn through the at least one air intake vent 26 and cool the passing air using the cooled outer surfaces of the interior container 34. The at least one air intake vent 26 is positioned at or near the bottom of the cooler compartment 12 such that air drawn by the fan 16 from the external environment must pass upwardly over a substantial portion of the outer surfaces of the interior container 34 to maximize the cooling effect on the air.

[0025] In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, the interior container 34 includes at least one ventilation opening 38 in an upper portion thereof to permit air passing through the air passages 36 to pass into the interior of the interior container 34 and be further cooled by ice 70, water, and products to be kept in a cool or cold environment in the interior container 34.

[0026] In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, the cooler compartment 12 includes a front cooler wall 40, a back cooler wall 42, a first side cooler wall 44, and a second side cooler wall 46. The at least one air intake vent 26 includes a first air intake vent 48 positioned in the first side cooler wall 44 and a second air intake vent 50 positioned in the second side cooler wall 46. Each of the first air intake vent 48 and the second air intake vent 50 is positioned at or near the bottom of the cooler compartment 12 such that air drawn by the fan 16 from the external environment must pass upwardly over a substantial portion of the outer surfaces of the interior container 34 to maximize the cooling effect on the air.

[0027] In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, the air conditioning compartment 14 is attached on one side to the cooler compartment 12 in the manner of a hinge to permit the air conditioning compartment 14 to be pivoted away and towards the cooler compartment 12 to permit a user to open and close the cooler compartment 12.

[0028] In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, the air conditioning compartment 14 includes a first zipper portion 52. The cooler compartment 12 includes a second zipper portion 54. The first zipper portion 52 is designed to sealingly engage with the second zipper portion 54 to permit a user to connect and disconnect the air conditioning compartment 14 and the cooler compartment 12.

[0029] In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, the dual beverage cooler and air conditioner 10 further includes a battery pocket 56 positioned on the outside of the cooler compartment 12. A battery 58 is positioned in the battery pocket 56 and operatively connected to the fan 16. A manual switch 60 is positioned to project out of the air conditioning compartment 14 to permit a user to turn the fan 16 on and off.

[0030] In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, the dual beverage cooler and air conditioner 10 further includes an adjustable carrying strap 64 attached to the first side cooler wall 44 and the second side cooler wall 46.

[0031] In accordance with at least one possible embodiment, each of the front cooler wall 40, the back cooler wall 42, the first side cooler wall 44, and the second side cooler wall 46 includes an insulated flexible material, and the interior container 34 includes a rigid plastic or metallic material.

[0032] With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0033] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word comprising is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article a does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.