An ice chest or insulated box is used to keep beverages and foodstuff cold. These usually make use of ice cubes to help keep the items inside them cool. In some cases, ice packs are also used, as they either have the capability of melting the water present inside or come with a gel potted inside that can help them remain cool for a longer period than plain ice.
Richard Laramy of Joliet Illinois was the first person in history to invent a portable ice cooler. Laramy lodged an application with the US Patent Office on 24th February 1951 for a portable ice box. The patent was issued to him on 22nd December 1953.
The Coleman Company played a major role in popularizing the ice chest, which is sometimes referred to as an "ice box" in the US. The company introduced a galvanized ice cooler to the US market in 1954. Coleman then went on to develop a method to produce a plastic lining for jugs and coolers.
Ice chests are regularly used during vacations, outings or holidays. In hot summers, they can be used to transport chilled groceries from the grocery store to home. This can be particularly helpful if the distance between the two places is long.
Ice boxes are normally made from exterior and interior coverings of plastic with hard foam in the middle. These coolers come in many different sizes; ranging from small ones for personal use to the large ones with wheels intended for big families. The disposable coolers are made purely fro styrene foam, which is around one inch or two-centimeter thick. Many reusable coolers come with handles and a few of them have shoulder strips. Thus, the ice cooler has evolved from a method of keeping drinks cold into a means of transportation
Some latest ice chests are thermoelectric and can be connected to your car's cigarette lighter hole. Unlike refrigerators and other heat pumps that use refrigerants or compressors, these coolers bring into play the Peltier effect along with an external fan to ward off the heat. By being able to reverse the current, these coolers can also heat the items instead of cooling them. This comes in handy if want to keep your meal hot during a long journey or prevent foodstuff from freezing in extreme cold. This is how ice coolers have developed over time.
