Integrated Cooling Lid for Insulated Boxes With Uniform Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing insulated boxes with separate cooling elements face issues such as labor-intensive placement, risk of incorrect element usage, space inefficiency, and potential damage during transport due to the need for separate cooling elements, which can lead to uneven cooling distribution and mistakes in temperature control.
Innovation Solution
Integrating the cooling element into the lid of the insulated box, with a passive cooling system and color-coded markings to indicate the suitable temperature interval, ensuring the cooling element is always present and correctly matched to the product type, reducing the risk of errors and simplifying the packing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If cooling elements are placed separately in the box, then the cooling elements can be compactly cooled or frozen again in a cooling or freezing device for reuse, but the placement is labor intensive and mistakes cannot be observed after the box is closed
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling element is integrated into the lid structure, merging two previously separate components (cooling element and lid) into a single unit. This eliminates the need for separate placement operations while maintaining the ability to cool and freeze the integrated component for reuse.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling element is pre-integrated into the lid during manufacturing, so that when the lid is placed on the box, the cooling element is automatically positioned correctly. This preliminary integration eliminates the need for manual placement operations and prevents mistakes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If cooling elements are placed separately in the box, then the cooling elements can be removed for reuse, but the risk of mistakes increases and mistakes cannot be rectified after the box is closed
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the cooling element into the lid, the system ensures that the correct cooling element is always associated with the correct box type. The lid and box are designed as matching pairs, eliminating the risk of mismatched cooling elements while maintaining reusability through the lid's removable design.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid acts as an intermediary component that connects the cooling element to the box. This intermediary structure ensures proper matching between cooling elements and boxes, preventing mistakes while allowing the cooling element to be reused by removing the entire lid assembly.
3Adaptability or versatility
If cooling elements are placed separately in the box, then the cooling elements can be used flexibly, but they take up space that could otherwise be usefully used and they can move during transport causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling element is merged with the lid structure, so that the space it occupies is part of the lid's volume rather than encroaching on the box's usable volume. This integration eliminates wasted space while maintaining the cooling element's functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling element is pre-positioned in the lid during manufacturing, eliminating the need for manual placement operations. This preliminary positioning ensures optimal space utilization and prevents the cooling element from moving during transport, thereby preventing damage.
4Ease of operation
If cooling elements are placed separately in the box, then the cooling elements can be positioned manually, but an uneven distribution of cooling function over the volume of the box can occur
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling element is pre-integrated into the lid at precise, pre-determined positions during manufacturing. This preliminary positioning ensures uniform distribution of the cooling function over the box volume, eliminating the variability and errors associated with manual placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid with the integrated cooling element serves itself by automatically positioning the cooling element correctly when placed on the box. This self-positioning mechanism ensures uniform cooling distribution without requiring manual intervention or precision placement operations.
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 reduces the number of steps in preparing cooled packaging, minimizes the risk of incorrect cooling element usage, and ensures consistent temperature control by integrating the cooling element into the lid, making it impossible to remove accidentally, thus enhancing efficiency and safety during transport and storage.
Implementation Method 1
these cooling elements are designed to be able to absorb or give off more energy for a given temperature change in the specific temperature interval than outside the specific temperature interval
Implementation Method 2
this also due to the good insulation of the box and the lid
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Lid (3) for an insulated box (2), with a cooling element (8) that forms part of the lid (3), whereby this cooling element (3) is filled with coolant that is intended to be cooled or frozen in order to then perform a cooling function.