Sink-Supported Ice Block Cooling for Easy Beverage Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling methods for beverages, such as chest coolers, face challenges in easy access to beverages, mold formation, and disposal of melted ice water, making them impractical for entertaining settings.
Innovation Solution
A beverage cooling system comprising a sink with a drain and a molded block of ice, where the ice mold forms a block with recesses to support beverage containers, allowing easy access and drainage of melted water, preventing mold growth and simplifying disposal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If beverage containers are distributed throughout ice in a chest cooler, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but access to beverages becomes difficult requiring digging through ice and water
Solution Approach 1:
The ice is segmented into two distinct components: a molded block of ice with integrated beverage recesses for cooling, and loose ice cubes for filling gaps. This segmentation allows beverages to be easily accessed from the molded block while loose ice provides additional cooling capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The molded block of ice acts as an intermediary structure between the cooling function and the beverage containers. It provides a stable, accessible platform that holds beverages upright while maintaining cooling effectiveness, eliminating the need to dig through loose ice and water.
2Temperature
If ice is used to cool beverages in a chest cooler, then beverage cooling is achieved, but disposal of melted ice water becomes cumbersome and may cause leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The melted ice water is extracted from the cooling system by draining it away from the beverage containers. The molded block structure allows water to drain from beneath the block and around the beverages, separating the waste water disposal function from the cooling function.
Solution Approach 2:
The molded block of ice is designed to self-drain as it melts, with water naturally flowing away from the beverage containers through the structure's design. This eliminates the need for manual intervention to dispose of melted water during the cooling process.
3Temperature
If ice is used in a chest cooler, then beverage cooling is achieved, but failure to dry the interior may result in mold formation and unpleasant odors
Solution Approach 1:
Melted water is continuously extracted from the system through drainage, preventing water accumulation that would otherwise create a breeding environment for mold and mildew. The drainage system removes the harmful moisture factor while maintaining the beneficial cooling function.
Solution Approach 2:
The melting ice, which could potentially cause mold growth if water accumulates, is converted into a beneficial drainage system. The melted water flows away through designed channels, preventing stagnation and eliminating the conditions necessary for mold formation while maintaining cooling effectiveness.
4Ease of operation
If beverage containers are placed in a molded block of ice in a sink, then easy access and upright positioning are achieved, but the ice block may not be stable without proper support
Solution Approach 1:
The molded block of ice is merged with the sink basin, using the sink's structure as support. The block is positioned to rest against the sink's contours, combining the ice block's cooling function with the sink's structural stability to maintain upright beverage positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The sink serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for the ice block, acts as a drainage system for melted water, and offers a stable surface for positioning beverages. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for additional support structures while maintaining stability.
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 an easy and convenient means to chill beverages with easy access and upright positioning, eliminating the need for manual disposal of melted ice water and reducing mold risks, while maintaining beverage accessibility as the ice melts.
Implementation Method 1
The block of ice is located in and supported by the basin of the sink... As the block of ice melts, the melted water is drained via the sink
Implementation Method 2
As the block of ice melts, the melted water is drained via the sink
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an easy and convenient way of cooling or chilling beverage containers. An ice mold is filled with water. The water is froze in the ice mold to form a block of ice having at least one beverage recess formed therein. The block of ice is removed from the ice mold and placed in the basin of the sink such that the block of ice is closely supported by the basin of the sink and beverage containers can be received in the beverage recesses in the block of ice.