Cooler LED Lighting With Reed Switch for Low-Heat Interior Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable coolers face challenges in providing comprehensive 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 bulbs are inefficient and fragile.
Innovation Solution
The use of multiple 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, which automatically turns on when the lid is opened, providing minimal heat and durable illumination for extended periods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If incandescent light bulbs 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 changes the fundamental parameter of light source technology from incandescent to LED. LEDs convert electrical energy to light with minimal heat generation, fundamentally changing the energy conversion efficiency parameter and resolving the contradiction between illumination and heat generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/thermal filament-based incandescent lighting system with a semiconductor-based LED system. This substitution eliminates the need for a heated filament and replaces it with electroluminescence, thereby eliminating excessive heat generation while maintaining illumination.
2Ease of manufacture
If fluorescent light bulbs are used for interior illumination, then cost efficiency is improved, but the bulbs are extremely fragile and may break upon closing of the lid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses LEDs which, while not disposable, represent a durable alternative to fragile fluorescent bulbs. LEDs have significantly longer operational lifetimes and are resistant to shock and vibration, eliminating the fragility issue while maintaining cost-effectiveness through reduced replacement needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs LEDs with integrated protective housings and mounting structures that combine multiple materials and functions. The LED assembly is designed as a composite structure that provides both illumination and mechanical protection, resolving the fragility issue while maintaining cost efficiency.
3Reliability
If fluorescent lights with ballasts are used for interior illumination, then current regulation is achieved, but volume is consumed which reduces the cooler's storage capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the ballast component from the lighting system by using LEDs with integrated current regulation capabilities. This removal of the bulky ballast component resolves the volume contradiction while maintaining reliable current regulation through LED driver circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates multiple functions into the LED assembly: illumination, current regulation, and heat dissipation. The LED driver circuit performs current regulation without requiring a separate ballast, and the LED housing provides heat sinks, thereby eliminating the need for additional volume-consuming components.
4Extent of automation
If a magnetic reed switch is used for automatic activation, then the lighting system becomes automatic, but the switch must be protected from impact and environmental factors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent nests the magnetic reed switch within the cooler structure, positioning it between the lid and base where it is protected from external impacts. The switch is integrated into the sealing assembly or wall structure, providing both automatic activation functionality and mechanical protection through the cooler's own structural elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a magnet positioned on the lid as an intermediary that activates the reed switch without direct mechanical contact. The magnetic field serves as a non-contact actuator, eliminating the need for mechanical switches that would be vulnerable to impact, while maintaining automatic activation functionality.
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
This solution enables efficient, heat-minimal, and durable interior illumination of the cooler for several hours without an external power source, maintaining the cooler's primary function of temperature regulation while ensuring the LEDs are protected and the magnetic reed switch is impact-resistant.
Implementation Method 1
A magnetic reed switch is positioned between an inside liner and an outer liner of the cooler. A magnet is positioned in the lid wherein the magnetic field of the magnet is in an activating location when the lid is in an open state
Implementation Method 2
A plurality of LEDs are positioned along an upper region of the main body... A nine volt battery is provided for providing power to each of the plurality of LEDs
Data Source
AI summary
A cooler that utilizes multiple LEDs to illuminate an entire interior is disclosed herein. The LEDs are activated by a magnetic reed switch positioned between an inside liner and an outer liner of the cooler. A magnet is positioned in a lid. Removal of the magnetic field of the magnet when the lid is in an open state allows the magnetic reed switch to complete a circuit from a battery to the LEDs thereby allowing the LEDs to illuminate the entire interior chamber of the cooler.