Ice Chest Insert With Drip Shelf for Clean Chilled Food Storage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice chest solutions fail to provide a portable, easy-to-use insert that keeps food and drinks chilled while separating them from dirty melted water, are difficult to assemble and disassemble, and are bulky for storage and transport.
Innovation Solution
A portable food organizing insert with a top shelf, bottom shelf connected by spring-loaded posts, and a perforated drip dry system that allows melted ice water to drip away, enabling easy assembly, disassembly, and separation from the ice chest for cleaning and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If food items are stored directly with ice cubes in the ice chest, then the ice chest structure is simple, but the food items become saturated and soggy due to contact with dirty melted water
Solution Approach 1:
The ice chest is segmented into distinct functional zones: a food storage shelf elevated above the ice compartment, and a separate ice compartment at the bottom. This segmentation prevents direct contact between food and dirty melted water while maintaining structural simplicity through modular design elements.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If shelves are assembled within the ice chest to provide separate storage areas, then food separation from ice is achieved, but the assembly process becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf and support legs are designed as pre-assembled modular units that can be quickly inserted into the ice chest without requiring time-consuming assembly operations. The legs feature pre-formed attachment mechanisms that snap into place, eliminating the need for complex assembly steps during setup.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the ice chest is designed with fixed shelves for food storage, then food separation is maintained, but the device becomes bulky and difficult to store and carry
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf support system uses collapsible legs that can be folded parallel to each other for compact storage and transport. During use, the legs extend vertically to provide stable food separation. This dynamic transformation allows the same structure to serve both portability and food separation requirements.
4Ease of operation
If a portable insert design is used for food storage, then ease of transport is improved, but the ability to maintain food above melted water may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The food storage shelf and support legs form a nested structure where the legs fit within the shelf perimeter, creating a compact portable unit that can be easily carried. When deployed in the ice chest, this same nested structure expands vertically to position food above the ice compartment, maintaining separation from dirty water.
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 insert maintains food and drinks in a chilled, clean condition above melted water, allowing for easy cleaning and compact storage, and is lightweight for convenient carrying.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the plurality of posts is surrounded by a spring and the top shelf is provided with a perforated natural drip dry system on a top surface
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a food organizing insert for placement within an ice chest. The food organizing insert comprises a top shelf arranged for placing food items, drinks and ice, a bottom shelf attached to the top shelf by way of a plurality of posts, a plurality of threaded plugs designed to secure the plurality of posts in position and a plurality of holes positioned on the top shelf and the bottom shelf to insert the plurality of posts. Each of the plurality of posts is surrounded by a spring and the top shelf is provided with a perforated natural drip dry system on a top surface. The perforated natural drip dry system allows melted ice water to drip from the top shelf. The food organizing insert is placed within the ice chest to maintain the food items, drinks and ice in a chilled condition and elevated above the dirty water.