Job Box Charging Station With Lighting and Battery Warming
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Job boxes lack adequate lighting and heating solutions for tool storage and battery charging, particularly in cold conditions, which hinders visibility and battery performance.
Innovation Solution
Integration of lights and heating elements within job boxes, including LED lights, battery chargers with built-in warming capabilities, and movable charging stations with integrated lighting, to enhance visibility and maintain battery performance in cold conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If job boxes are used for tool and battery storage, then portability and organization are improved, but visibility in low-light conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the job box storage system with integrated lighting elements, merging the storage function with illumination function into a single unified device. The light source is embedded within the job box structure, allowing simultaneous tool storage and illumination without requiring separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a light source as an intermediary element between the user and the stored tools. This mediator (light) enables visibility of the storage contents without altering the storage structure itself, bridging the gap between portable storage and low-light visibility needs.
2Ease of operation
If job boxes store battery packs, then organization is improved, but battery performance in cold conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the battery storage function with thermal management by integrating heating elements into the job box structure. The storage system now simultaneously provides organization and temperature control, maintaining battery performance in cold conditions without requiring separate heating devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The job box provides self-service thermal management by incorporating heating elements that automatically warm the storage environment. The system serves its own temperature control needs without requiring external heating equipment, maintaining battery reliability autonomously.
3Device complexity
If job boxes are designed for simple storage, then device complexity is minimized, but functionality in cold and low-light environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the simple storage box into a multi-functional device by integrating lighting and heating capabilities. The job box now serves multiple functions (storage, illumination, thermal management) within a single structure, enhancing adaptability to different environmental conditions without requiring multiple separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple environmental adaptation functions (lighting for low-light conditions, heating for cold temperatures) with the basic storage function into a single integrated system. This merging approach maintains relative structural simplicity while dramatically expanding environmental versatility.
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
Provides improved visibility and functionality for tool storage and battery charging, ensuring effective operation in low-light environments and cold temperatures by illuminating storage areas and warming battery packs.
Implementation Method 1
a light supported by the base or the lid and configured to illuminate the storage area
Implementation Method 2
a heating element positioned within the base and configured to warm a battery pack
Data Source
AI summary
A job box includes a base defining a storage area, a lid coupled to the base and moveable between an open position, in which the storage area is accessible, and a closed position, in which the storage area in not accessible, and a charging station supported by the base. The station includes a first charging port configured to charge a battery pack of a first type, a second charging port configured to charge a battery pack of a second type, a light, and a first power outlet. The charging station is moveable relative to the job box to a plurality of different positions.