Rotatable Multi-Tank Ice Bucket for Simultaneous Multi-User Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional ice buckets are roomy but do not offer convenient access to all bottles, and bottles often slip and hide from view, making them difficult to use for multiple users.
Innovation Solution
An ice bucket design featuring a base, central body, and rotatable tanks with radial bearings and shape-coupling means for easy bottle access, along with interchangeable and translucent tanks that can be separately managed and backlit for aesthetic appeal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If a single large bowl is used to contain multiple bottles, then the ice bucket is roomy and can contain several different bottles, but all users cannot easily access all bottles simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The ice bucket is divided into multiple separate tanks (typically 3-4 tanks) arranged radially around a central body, each tank capable of holding one or more bottles. This segmentation allows multiple users to simultaneously access different tanks without obstruction, while the entire assembly rotates to provide additional access options. Each tank is an independent container that can be individually accessed from the exterior.
Solution Approach 2:
The tank assembly is made rotatable around the central body through a bearing mechanism, allowing the entire radial arrangement of tanks to rotate 360 degrees. This dynamic feature enables users to position any tank at the most convenient access point, transforming a static single-bowl design into a dynamic multi-access system that adapts to different user positions around the table.
2Temperature
If bottles are placed in a traditional ice bucket, then they can be cooled, but bottles often slip and hide from view making them difficult to locate
Solution Approach 1:
The tanks are made from translucent or transparent materials that allow light to pass through, making the bottles inside visible from the exterior. This transparency feature enables users to locate and identify bottles without having to reach into the tank or move other bottles, solving the visibility problem while maintaining the cooling function through the same tank structure.
3Volume of stationary object
If a single large bowl is used, then space is maximized, but bottles can slip into hidden positions and are difficult to remove
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the cooling space into multiple separate radial tanks rather than one large bowl, each tank provides a defined, organized space for bottles. This segmentation prevents bottles from slipping into hidden positions between bottles in a crowded single bowl, as each tank's interior geometry and positioning make bottle locations predictable and accessible. The radial arrangement with exterior access points ensures bottles can be easily grasped and removed.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable mechanism allows users to bring any tank to the front access position, making bottle removal effortless regardless of which tank contains the desired bottle. This eliminates the need to dig through or maneuver around other bottles in a static single-bowl design, as the dynamic rotation brings the target tank into direct, unobstructed access.
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
The design allows easy access to all bottles without moving, prevents slipping, facilitates tank management, and provides a visually appealing display with backlighting.
Implementation Method 1
said rotatable connection means comprise at least one radial bearing interposed between said base and said central body
Implementation Method 2
said tanks comprise a translucent or transparent plastic material
Implementation Method 3
said arms comprise a housing for LEDs for the backlighting of said tanks
Implementation Method 4
Traditional containers or buckets are known in the art intended to contain ice, or a mixture of water and ice, adapted to cool one or more bottles of beverages arranged inside them by conduction
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an ice bucket (1) comprising: a base (2) for resting on a surface; a central body (3); a plurality of tanks (4), associable with said central body (3), adapted to contain ice and bottles to be refrigerated; means for the rotatable connection between said central body (3) and said base (2) to allow the rotation of said tanks (4) and selectively make said bottles available to a plurality of users.