Portable Ice Chest with Integrated UV Sterilization for Food Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice chest sterilization devices lack integration of ultraviolet light emitters to effectively sterilize the interior space, which is crucial for preventing bacterial contamination of food and beverages, especially in outdoor settings.
Innovation Solution
An ice chest with integrated ultraviolet light emitters and protective lenses, made of thermally insulating materials, that emit UV light to sterilize the interior space, including a rechargeable power supply and conductors for powering the emitters, ensuring bacterial inhibition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ultraviolet light emitters are integrated into the ice chest, then sterilization effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple ultraviolet light emitters into a single ice chest unit, integrating the sterilization function with the existing cooling function. This merging approach improves sterilization effectiveness by using multiple emitters simultaneously while managing the added complexity through unified system integration within the ice chest structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The ice chest is designed to perform multiple functions: traditional cooling/icing and ultraviolet sterilization. By making the device universal, the patent addresses both food preservation (cooling) and food safety (sterilization) needs, improving overall reliability without requiring separate devices.
2Reliability
If multiple ultraviolet light emitters are integrated into the ice chest and lid, then sterilization coverage is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the sterilization system into multiple segments: emitters integrated into the main ice chest body and additional emitters integrated into the lid. This segmentation allows for improved sterilization coverage by distributing light sources throughout the interior space, while each segment can be manufactured and tested independently before final assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
Ultraviolet light emitters are strategically positioned at specific locations within the ice chest and lid structures where they can maximize sterilization coverage. This local placement ensures that critical areas receive adequate UV exposure while simplifying the overall manufacturing process by focusing integration efforts at specific points rather than throughout the entire structure.
3Reliability
If protective lenses are added to cover ultraviolet light emitters, then emitter protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Protective lenses are installed over the ultraviolet light emitters before they are subjected to potential damage from food containers, ice, or environmental factors. This beforehand protection ensures the emitters remain functional throughout the product's lifecycle, addressing reliability concerns without requiring complex active protection mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective lenses serve as thin, transparent protective layers that cover the ultraviolet emitters. These lenses provide physical protection against damage while remaining optically transparent to allow UV light transmission, thus improving emitter protection without significantly increasing device complexity.
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
Effectively sterilizes food and beverages by inhibiting bacterial growth, ensuring safe consumption by preventing the transfer of bacteria between individuals, particularly in outdoor events.
Implementation Method 1
A plurality of ultraviolet light emitters is integrated into the ice chest to emit ultraviolet light into the interior space for sterilizing the interior space of the ice chest thereby sterilizing food items contained in the interior space
Implementation Method 2
The ice chest is comprised of a thermally insulating material to inhibit thermal communication between the interior space and ambient air
Data Source
AI summary
A portable food sterilization assembly includes an ice chest defining an interior space to contain food items. The ice chest is comprised of a thermally insulating material to inhibit thermal communication between the interior space and ambient air. A lid is hingedly coupled to the ice chest for opening or closing the interior space. The lid is comprised of a thermally insulating material to inhibit thermal communication between the interior space and ambient air. A plurality of ultraviolet light emitters is integrated into the ice chest to emit ultraviolet light into the interior space for sterilizing the interior space of the ice chest thereby sterilizing food items contained in the interior space. A respective one of the plurality of ultraviolet light emitters is integrated into the lid to emit ultraviolet light into the interior space of the ice chest thereby sterilizing food items contained in the interior space.