Cooler caddy, and methods of constructing and utilizing same

A portable device for transporting items, comprising:

• a container portion having four side walls, a bottom and a top member with a substantially horizontal surface;
• at least one tray means hingedly secured to one of said side walls adapted to pivot between a substantially vertical position and a substantially horizontal position;
• means for supporting said tray means in said substantially horizontal position;
• means for holding said tray means in said substantially vertical position;
• at least three wheels mounted to said container;
• means, connected to said container, for selectively supporting at least one article having a pole member in an elevated position thereof above said container and for storing said article in a contracted position thereof;
• said tray means being substantially planar with said substantially horizontal surface of said top member when in said substantially horizontal position, said top member having corner extensions located proximate inner corners of said tray means, each corner extension having a recess for receiving and locking a respective inner corner of said tray means when the tray means is in the horizontal position;
• means connected to said container for adjustably elevating and stably supporting said container relative to a ground surface independently from said wheels;
• said elevating means including a plurality of elongated tubular members, attached to said container, a plurality of elongated members adapted to telescopically engage within lower ends of said tubular members, respectively, and means for locking each of said leg members in a fixed position substantially within said tubular member;
• and
• said article supporting and storing means includes upper ends of said elongated tubular members, said upper ends being adapted to receive said pole member therein.

A portable device for transporting food or related articles, comprising:

• a means for storing articles in an insulated environment, having a front wall, a rear wall, two side walls, a bottom member, and a top member having a major flat surface;
• a plurality of wheels pivotally mounted to said storage means;
• means, connected to said storage means, for selectively elevating said storage means to any of a plurality of heights relative to a ground surface independently from said wheels;
• a handle having a telescoping pole pivotally connected to said front wall for transporting said device;
• said elevating means includes means to position said major flat surface of said top member in a substantially horizontal plane over uneven ground surfaces, and is adjustable between a use position in which said elevating means extend below said wheels, and a transport position in which said elevating means extend above said wheels;
• a plurality of recesses formed within lower portions of said side walls, each recess corresponding to a respective one of said wheels;
• said wheels being movable between a storage position and a transport position;
• said wheels being retracted into said corresponding recesses in said storage positions thereof for easy storage of said device;
• said wheels extending below said bottom member when in said transport position;
• said wheels being mounted to said storage means through shock absorbing means;
• and
• tray means, including four trays, hingedly secured to said front, rear and side walls for extending said major flat surface of said top member, each tray being movable between a substantially vertical position and a substantially horizontal position, said top member having corner extensions located proximate inner corners of said tray means, each corner extension having a recess for receiving and locking a respective inner corner of said tray means when the tray means is in the horizontal position.