Cooler Ski Attachment With Axle-Snap Mount for Uneven Terrain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable ice chests with skis are cumbersome due to mechanical attachments, additional storage volume, or require complex mechanisms, limiting their usability on uneven surfaces.
Innovation Solution
Small, removable skis with upward flanges that snap onto the wheel axle using a plastic or metallic 'E' clip, allowing the ice chest to glide smoothly over various surfaces without wheels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanical hinge attachments are used to attach skis to the ice chest, then the skis can be securely attached and provide sliding capability, but additional storage volume is lost due to the mechanical hinge and ski extension beyond the cooler sides
Solution Approach 1:
The ski attachment system is divided into separate components: the ski member with flange and the attachment mechanism (E-clip or retainer) that connects to the wheel axle. This segmentation allows the ski to be compact when not in use while providing secure attachment when deployed, resolving the contradiction between attachment security and storage volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The ski member with flange is designed to nest against the side of the ice chest body when not in use, utilizing the space along the chest side efficiently. The flange wraps around the wheel axle, nesting the attachment mechanism within the existing structural space, thereby minimizing additional storage volume while maintaining secure attachment capability.
2Reliability
If door type hinges are used to deploy skis, then the skis can be locked in position for sliding, but the mechanism becomes complex and requires additional storage space
Solution Approach 1:
The complex door-type hinge mechanism is extracted and replaced with a simplified attachment system using E-clips or retainers that directly engage with the wheel axle. This extraction removes unnecessary mechanical complexity while maintaining the essential function of secure ski attachment and position stability during use.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a hinge that rotates the ski from a stored position to a deployed position, the invention inverts the approach by having the ski permanently positioned against the chest side with the attachment mechanism (E-clip) engaging the wheel axle directly. This inversion eliminates the need for complex deployment hinges while achieving the same functional outcome.
3Adaptability or versatility
If vertically extendable handles with wide hinged skis are used, then the ice chest can slide over surfaces, but the size and volume of the cart and ice chest increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a wide ski that extends significantly beyond the ice chest, the invention applies a narrow ski member with flange locally at the point where the wheel contacts the ground. This localized approach provides the necessary sliding capability on uneven surfaces without increasing the overall size and volume of the ice chest assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a wide, horizontally-extending ski to a narrow, vertically-oriented flange that wraps around the wheel axle. This dimensional change allows the ski to provide sliding capability in the vertical dimension while minimizing horizontal extension, thereby maintaining a compact overall size.
Data Source
AI summary
A ski attachment for a wheeled insulated cooler which includes a left ski and a right ski and an upturned flange on each that is biased towards the inner edge of the ski. The upturned flange and a bracket are coordinated to allow a fastener to attach the bracket to the upturned flange. The bracket captures an axle and allows free rotation of the axle when the skis are connected to the axle. The bracket captures the axle to prevent the axle from being dislodged from the bracket on the ski. The ski is wide enough and long enough to provide sliding support for the insulated portable cooler over surfaces where wheels aren't useable.