Wheel Adapter Mounting Bracket for Cooler Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional coolers are heavy and cumbersome due to their construction and insulation, making them difficult to transport, and existing methods for attaching wheels are not robust enough, leading to instability and potential damage during use.
Innovation Solution
A system of mounting brackets with wheels that attach to the cooler using existing holes, allowing the cooler to rest on pads when stationary and roll on wheels when in use, providing additional support and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional attachment methods are used to attach wheels to a cooler, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of wheel attachment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is divided into separate components: a mounting bracket that attaches to the cooler and a wheel that attaches to the bracket. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the bracket provides robust attachment points using existing cooler holes, while the wheel provides mobility, together resolving the contradiction between simple attachment and reliable wheel attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting bracket serves as an intermediary component between the cooler and the wheel. It attaches to the cooler using existing mounting holes and provides a coupling mechanism for the wheel, thereby improving wheel attachment reliability without requiring complex modifications to the cooler structure itself.
2Ease of operation
If a cooler is placed on a dolly for transportation, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of transport deteriorates due to sliding off in rough conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel attachment system merges the cooler and wheel into a single integrated unit through the mounting bracket. Unlike a separate dolly that can slide off, the wheels are securely attached to the cooler itself, combining the benefits of easy rolling transport with reliable attachment that prevents separation in rough conditions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional wheel attachment methods are used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the harmful factors increase due to cooler sliding and surface scratching
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket acts as an intermediary that provides controlled support between the cooler and the ground. It includes features like skid plates or protected contact points that prevent direct metal-to-surface contact, thereby reducing scratching and sliding damage while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A wheel adapter to convert a storage container to a wheeled storage container is provided. The wheel adapter comprises a mounting bracket attachable to the storage container. The mounting bracket comprises a first leg configured to engage a bottom surface of the storage container, and a second leg configured to engage a side surface of the storage container. The second leg comprises a wheel coupling. The wheel adapter also includes a wheel rotatably connected to the wheel coupling. The wheel is constructed and arranged for rotation about an axis to provide rolling support of the storage container on the ground.