Collapsible Portable Cooler for Remote Temperature-Controlled Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current refrigeration systems are not suitable for remote or temporary applications, particularly for hunters and caterers, as they are cumbersome, costly, and inefficient for cooling smaller volumes, and often cannot traverse rugged terrain or maintain the necessary temperature for aging or drying game.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible and portable cooler system with telescoping support poles, a foldable base, and a refrigeration unit that can be powered by various means, allowing for flexible deployment and temperature control, including the option to draw cold air from external sources, and featuring antimicrobial materials to prevent spoilage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional refrigeration systems are used in remote locations, then temperature control is maintained, but portability and ease of transport are severely limited
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigeration system is divided into separate modular components: a collapsible cooler body that can be disassembled into parts, and a separate refrigeration unit. This segmentation allows the cooler to be collapsed for compact transport while the refrigeration unit can be independently handled, resolving the contradiction between maintaining temperature control and improving portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooler employs dynamic, collapsible walls made of flexible insulated material that can transition between expanded (when in use) and collapsed (when transported) states. This dynamic structure allows the same object to serve both functions: providing adequate volume for temperature control during operation, and minimizing transport volume for portability.
2Volume of stationary object
If large refrigeration systems are used to accommodate extended game aging, then sufficient storage volume is provided, but device complexity and transport difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooler body is segmented into collapsible wall sections that can be easily assembled and disassembled. This segmentation reduces structural complexity compared to traditional rigid framed coolers, while still providing sufficient expanded volume for extended game aging when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooler uses flexible insulated walls instead of rigid structural components. These thin film walls provide the necessary insulation for temperature control while being lightweight and easy to manipulate, reducing device complexity and transport difficulty despite providing adequate storage volume.
3Loss of energy
If rigid insulated walls are used to maintain temperature, then thermal insulation is effective, but collapsibility and storage ease are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cooler employs flexible insulated walls made of materials like foam-rubber or other flexible thermal insulation materials. These materials maintain effective thermal insulation properties while being inherently flexible, allowing the walls to be collapsed for storage without compromising the insulation's ability to maintain temperature.
4Adaptability or versatility
If telescoping support poles are used to allow height adjustment, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure uses segmented telescoping poles that can be easily extended or retracted. This segmentation allows for simple mechanical adjustment of height without requiring complex mechanisms, providing adaptability while keeping the overall device complexity low.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides a versatile, efficient, and cost-effective means to maintain temperature control in various environments, preventing spoilage and accommodating different sizes of game or food items, while being easy to transport and set up, thus ensuring food safety and convenience.
Implementation Method 1
The refrigeration unit cools the interior of the portable cooler to a temperature suitable for storing game and other foodstuffs
Implementation Method 2
The support poles support walls that may be made of a rigid insulating material, a compliant curtain, a bag, or fabric that maintains the temperature of air within the storage volume
Data Source
AI summary
A portable cooler is provided that includes a base that supports a refrigeration unit. The base also supports a plurality of upwardly-extending support poles that accommodate a top portion. The support poles, top portion, and base define a food storage volume that is surrounded by a plurality of insulative walls.