Removable Corner Light Assembly for Serviceable Containers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container systems, such as insulated coolers and toolboxes, often require expensive and impractical lighting solutions that are difficult to repair or maintain, as lights are typically electrically wired to the container and batteries are hard to replace.
Innovation Solution
A container apparatus with a removable lighting assembly that can be easily inserted and removed, featuring elongate recesses at the corners to secure elongate light members, which can include cooling or heating elements, and are battery powered, allowing for independent operation and easy maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lights are electrically wired to the container, then the lighting is stable and reliable, but the device complexity increases and repair difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting assembly is extracted from the container structure and made as a separate removable component. The recess in the container interior surface receives and engages the lighting assembly, allowing it to be detached without affecting the container's electrical system. This resolves the contradiction by eliminating complex wiring while maintaining lighting reliability through a dedicated engagement structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting system is segmented into a separate assembly that can be independently installed and removed. The lighting assembly includes its own power source (battery) and light sources, separated from the container's main structure. This segmentation reduces overall device complexity while maintaining reliable lighting functionality.
2Reliability
If lights are electrically wired to the container, then the lighting is stable, but the ease of repair deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting assembly is extracted as a separate serviceable unit with its own battery compartment and light sources. When repair is needed, the entire assembly can be removed from the recess and serviced independently, greatly improving ease of repair compared to wired installations that require disassembling the container's electrical system.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting assembly is designed as a self-contained unit with integrated battery and light sources that can be easily serviced by the user without requiring technical expertise or container disassembly. The removable design enables users to replace batteries or light sources themselves, improving ease of repair.
3Reliability
If lights are electrically wired to the container, then the lighting is stable, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to battery replacement difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is extracted from the container's electrical system and integrated into the removable lighting assembly. Users can access and replace batteries by simply removing the lighting assembly from the recess, eliminating the need to access internal container wiring or compartments, thereby greatly improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting assembly with integrated battery is designed as a user-serviceable unit. Users can independently replace batteries by removing the assembly from the recess, without requiring technical knowledge of the container's electrical system. This self-service design significantly improves ease of operation.
4Ease of repair
If a removable lighting assembly is used, then the ease of repair improves, but the reliability may deteriorate due to connection issues
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is segmented into a separate assembly that engages with the container through a dedicated recess structure. This segmentation allows easy removal for repair while maintaining stable operation when installed, as the engagement structure ensures proper positioning and connection during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting assembly is extracted as a separate component with its own engagement mechanism. When installed, it securely engages with the recess to provide stable lighting. When repair is needed, it can be easily removed without affecting the container. This extraction approach resolves the contradiction between reliability during use and ease of repair.
Data Source
AI summary
A container apparatus can include a container and an insert assembly. The insert assembly can include four elongate members. The four elongate members can include light emitting devices for illuminating the interior of the container and/or temperature altering elements for cooling and/or heating the interior of the container. The container can have a rectangular base and a rectangular sidewall extending upwardly from the base. The sidewall can define four corners of the container, and four elongate recesses can be formed in the sidewall proximate the four corners of the sidewall to receive the elongate light members. The recesses can be sized and shaped to conform to the elongate insert members so that the insert members can be releasably retained within the elongate recesses.