Removable Refrigerator Can Container for Cold Beverage Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerators make it cumbersome to remove and transport multiple beverage cans or bottles, as they often become warm quickly after being taken out.
Innovation Solution
A removable container with dividers and handles is integrated into the refrigerator, allowing for easy transport of multiple cans, which can be kept cool with ice, and features a drain plug for cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If beverage cans are removed from the refrigerator, then they can be transported, but they often become warmer very quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the removable container with an interior space that can accommodate both beverage cans and ice or coolant material, allowing the smaller cooling elements to be nested within or alongside the larger can-holding structure. This nested arrangement maintains close thermal contact between the ice and cans during transport, preserving cold temperatures.
2Ease of operation
If a removable container is added to the refrigerator, then beverage cans can be easily transported, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the refrigerator storage system by introducing a separate, self-contained removable container that can be independently handled. This segmentation isolates the complexity into a modular unit with integrated handles and dividers, while the main refrigerator structure remains simple and unchanged.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable container serves multiple functions: it stores beverage cans, provides handles for easy removal and transport, includes dividers for organization, and offers space for ice or coolant material. This multi-functionality consolidates several features into a single device, managing overall system complexity.
3Shape
If dividers are added to organize beverage cans, then cans can be properly positioned, but the cleaning difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the dividers removable rather than fixed, allowing users to take them out for cleaning or reposition them as needed. This dynamic design maintains the organizational function during use while eliminating the cleaning difficulty associated with fixed, hard-to-reach divider structures.
Data Source
AI summary
A beverage can holding container (20) is removably positionable within an interior area (12) of a refrigerator (10). The container has an interior area (36) that holds a plurality of beverage cans (22). A plurality of handles (46, 58, 60) are provided to facilitate removing the container from the refrigerator and transporting the container with the beverage cans therein to a location away from the refrigerator where the beverages will be consumed.