Portable cooler

A portable cooler, comprising in operative combination:

• (a) a first, lower insulated container having an outer shell and an inner liner of insulating material, which container consists essentially of four adjoining walls and an integral base defining a volume for carrying items, and being substantially open on a sixth side;
• (b) a second, upper insulated container having an outer shell and an inner liner of insulating material, which container consists essentially of four adjoining walls and an integral top defining a volume for carrying items, and being substantially open on a sixth side;
• (c) a removable closure for said openings of said containers comprising a liquid container substantially coextensive with said openings;
• (d) said insulated liner walls of both said insulated containers having a shoulder defined adjacent said open sixth side to receivingly engage said liquid container, said liquid container forming a closure for either of said insulated containers;
• (e) said liquid container extends partially into the volume of each of said insulated containers and defines a separator between said two insulated containers when said insulated containers are inverted on each other with said liquid container therebetween to form a combined container having at least two substantially separate volumes for items, and said first insulated container forming the lower portion and said second container forming said upper portion when said containers are in the closed position;
• (f) said liquid container providing an interlock of said two insulated container portions against relative lateral movement and providing lateral support;
• (g) means for releasably securing said liquid container to said second, upper insulated container;
• and
• (h) a carrying strap secured adjacent opposite ends thereof to opposite sides of said first, lower insulated container shell, and having means spaced from the secured ends for releasably attaching the strap to corresponding opposite sides of the second, upper insulated container shell, whereby the portions of the strap between the ends and said reeasably attaching means hold the first and second insulated containers together.