Drop-In Jockey Box Assembly for Drill-Free Cooler Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional jockey boxes require a dedicated cooler, necessitating the purchase of two coolers, one for jockey box and one for standard use, leading to additional storage and expense.
Innovation Solution
A drop-in jockey box system that converts a traditional cooler into a jockey box without altering its functionality, featuring a thermal spacer and cooling section that fits inside the cooler, with inlets and outlets, and a wedge design for sealing, eliminating the need to drill holes into the cooler.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional jockey box is used, then draft beverage cooling function is achieved, but the cooler cannot be used for standard cooling purposes
Solution Approach 1:
The jockey box system is segmented into a removable assembly that includes the thermal spacer, cooling section, and associated components. This segmentation allows the cooling function to be separated from the cooler body, enabling the cooler to serve dual purposes when the jockey box assembly is removed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static dedicated jockey box to a dynamic configuration where the jockey box components can be installed or removed from the cooler based on usage needs, providing adaptability between standard cooler mode and draft beverage service mode.
2Ease of operation
If holes are drilled into the cooler for inlets and outlets, then draft beverage flow is enabled, but the cooler structure is permanently altered
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet and outlet functions are extracted from the cooler body itself and relocated to the removable thermal spacer component. This allows the cooler to maintain its original structure without drilled holes, while the jockey box function is achieved through the separate thermal spacer assembly that interfaces with the cooler's existing structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal spacer acts as an intermediary component between the cooler body and the draft beverage system. It provides the necessary inlet and outlet connections without requiring permanent modifications to the cooler, serving as a mediator that enables draft beverage flow while preserving the cooler's integrity.
3Reliability
If a dedicated jockey box cooler is purchased, then draft beverage cooling is achieved, but additional expense and storage requirements result
Solution Approach 1:
The cooler is designed to serve multiple functions: standard cooling storage and draft beverage service. By incorporating the removable jockey box assembly, a single cooler can perform both roles, eliminating the need to purchase and store a separate dedicated jockey box cooler.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of a standard cooler and a jockey box into a single integrated system. The removable thermal spacer assembly combines the cooling section, inlet/outlet connections, and insulation in one unit that attaches to the cooler, allowing both functions to coexist in a single device.
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
Enables conversion of a standard cooler into a jockey box while maintaining its cooling capabilities, reducing the need for multiple coolers and associated costs.
Implementation Method 1
The thermal spacer may rest on a lip of the cooler and allow the cooler's lid to rest on top of the thermal spacer. This creates a thermal divider between the cooler's inside and contents from the outside.
Implementation Method 2
A draft beverage may enter an inlet and run through a cooling segment of the jockey box. This cooling segment allows the draft beverage to be cooled by the contents of the jockey box, which often includes ice.
Data Source
AI summary
A jockey box system used with a cooler having a thermal spacer with a front wall and two tapered side walls. The said thermal spacer is positioned on an upper edge of a body of the cooler and the thermal spacer has one or more inlets and one or more outlets formed on the front wall and a cooling system mounted below the thermal spacer for cooling contents of the cooler. The jockey box system is configured to be installed and removed from the cooler without modifying the cooler.