Adjustable Transport Cart for Coolers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional coolers or storage containers for transporting perishable food and beverages are often bulky and heavy, making them difficult to transport, especially over long distances by a single person.
Innovation Solution
A cart designed with a lower and upper member configuration, including channels and ridges for adjustable length, along with a wheel assembly and securing members, allows for the secure attachment and transportation of storage containers or coolers, optimizing the distance between wheels for easier handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a cooler or storage container is used to transport food and beverages, then the food and beverages can be kept cool and preserved, but the weight and size of the cooler make it difficult to transport by a single person over long distances
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two separate components: a cooler (for maintaining temperature) and a cart (for transportation). The cooler can be detached from the cart, allowing the user to transport only the cart with its own storage capacity, while the cooler remains stationary or is transported separately. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by separating the cooling function from the transportation burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The cart serves as an intermediary device between the user and the cooler. Instead of directly transporting the heavy cooler, the user transports the lighter cart, which then supports the cooler at the destination. The cart acts as a mediator that reduces the direct transport effort required while still enabling the cooler to be moved to different locations.
2Quantity of substance
If the cooler is made larger to accommodate more food and beverages, then the storage capacity increases, but the size and weight make it even more difficult to transport
Solution Approach 1:
The storage function is split between two containers: the cooler and the cart. The cart itself has storage capacity for items that don't require cooling, while the cooler provides insulated storage for temperature-sensitive items. This allows the system to maintain high total storage capacity without requiring the cooler alone to be oversized, thus improving transportability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cart serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for the cooler, offers additional storage space for non-perishable items, and acts as the primary transportation vehicle. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve high overall storage capacity without increasing the size of the cooler itself, maintaining ease of operation.
3Ease of operation
If the cooler is made smaller to improve transportability, then it becomes easier to move, but the storage capacity for food and beverages is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is segmented into cooled storage (cooler) and uncooled storage (cart). By placing items that don't require cooling in the cart, the cooler can be made smaller while the total system capacity remains adequate. This segmentation allows optimization of the cooler size for transportability without sacrificing overall storage capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows dynamic allocation of storage space between the cooler and cart based on the specific needs of the trip. Users can adjust what items go in the cooler versus the cart, allowing the cooler to be sized appropriately for transport while still providing sufficient total storage capacity when both components are used together.
Data Source
AI summary
A cart for transporting an object, such as a storage container or a cooler for storing food and/or beverages, is provided. The cart includes a securing member to attach the cart to the storage container. The securing member includes first and second clasps each formed from a resilient material and configured to engage respective first and second securing members of the storage container. The first and second clasp are configured to resiliently flex away from the storage container to receive the storage container.