Battery-Powered Cooler LED Lighting With Low-Heat Auto Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable coolers face challenges in providing effective interior illumination without generating excessive heat, using external power sources, and ensuring durability of the lighting system, as traditional light sources like incandescent and fluorescent lights are inefficient and fragile.
Innovation Solution
The use of multiple light-emitting diodes (LEDs) positioned along the upper region of the cooler's main body, powered by a nine-volt battery and activated by a magnetic reed switch or Hall Effect sensor, which allows for automatic illumination of the interior and exterior without generating significant heat, and includes a resistor to manage power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If incandescent lights are used for interior illumination, then the cooler interior can be illuminated, but excessive heat is generated which compromises the cooler's primary cooling function
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from incandescent lighting to LED lighting, fundamentally changing the operational parameters of the light source. LEDs operate at significantly lower temperatures and energy consumption levels compared to incandescent bulbs, thereby providing illumination while minimizing heat generation that would compromise the cooler's cooling function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal-mechanical incandescent bulb system with an electronic LED system. This substitution eliminates the need for a filament that heats up to produce light, using instead electroluminescence in semiconductor materials, thereby achieving illumination with minimal thermal output.
2Illumination intensity
If fluorescent lights are used for interior illumination, then cost efficiency is improved, but the ballast takes up valuable volume and generates heat
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the ballast component entirely by using LED technology. LEDs are self-regulating light sources that do not require external ballasts to control current, thereby removing the volume-consuming ballast from the cooler interior while maintaining illumination functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters from fluorescent lighting requiring ballast regulation to LED lighting with intrinsic current control. This parameter change eliminates the need for additional volume-consuming components while providing efficient illumination.
3Illumination intensity
If fluorescent bulbs are used for interior illumination, then cost efficiency is improved, but the bulbs are extremely fragile and may break upon closing the lid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs LEDs which, while not disposable, represent a durable replacement for fragile fluorescent bulbs. LEDs are solid-state components with no glass envelope or filament that can break, providing long-term reliability in the mobile cooler environment where lids are frequently opened and closed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses solid-state LED components that combine multiple materials (semiconductor chips, phosphors, encapsulants) into a single durable unit. This composite construction eliminates the fragile glass and filament structure of traditional bulbs, making the lighting system resistant to breakage during normal cooler operation.
4Duration of action of moving object
If traditional light sources are used for extended illumination, then the cooler interior can be illuminated for extended periods, but external power sources are required which reduce portability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the energy consumption parameters by using LEDs which consume significantly less power than traditional light sources. This parameter change enables extended illumination duration from compact battery packs, maintaining portability while achieving the desired illumination duration.
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 LED lighting system provides efficient and durable illumination for extended periods, minimizing heat generation and power consumption, while maintaining the cooler's primary function of temperature regulation, and can operate without an external power source.
Implementation Method 1
A plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) are positioned along an upper region of the main body
Implementation Method 2
activated by a magnetic reed switch or Hall Effect sensor
Implementation Method 3
activated by a magnetic reed switch or Hall Effect sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A cooler that utilizes multiple LEDs to illuminate an entire interior is disclosed herein. The LEDs are automatically activated by a switch positioned in the cooler. When the lid is in an open state, the switch completes a circuit from a battery to the LEDs thereby allowing the LEDs to illuminate the entire interior chamber of the cooler. The LEDs are preferably covered by a lens.