FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a mobile, solar powered refrigerator with the ability to maintain comestible products in a frozen state.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The opening of new consumer markets in less-developed countries is often hampered for cold products because of a lack of infrastructure and a concomitant inability to store and display products such as cold drinks and ice creams. Often the situation is exacerbated by the fact that the climate in these markets is tropical which increases the need for a reliable cooling apparatus.

One possible solution is to provide a trolley with a cold box with dry ice as a coolant. This is however a very temporary solution and requires regular replenishment of the dry ice. In addition, it effectively cools or maintains cold products at a reasonably low temperature, but cannot take the temperature of a product to below freezing on a sustainable basis.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a mobile, solar-powered cooler. Attempts have been made to design these, but to the best of the applicant's knowledge it has not been possible to accomplish this at a reasonable cost. Neither has it been possible to provide such a cooler which is able to freeze products.

It is further an object of the invention to provide a mobile solar-powered cooler with a configuration which permits efficient storage of the solar panels when not in use and which further facilitates easy deployment of the panels when required, and in such a manner as to provide shading for a vendor when in the deployed state.

THE INVENTION

According to the invention, a mobile cooler comprises a trolley including a cold box mounted therein, the trolley including a handle and a frame including one or more solar panels, the solar panels and / or the frame being adjustable to permit optimal exposure to light and /or for the provision of shelter. At least a portion of the frame may be vertically orientated. The frame may include an angled portion which receives the panels and provides shade to at least a part of the trolley. The vertically orientated portion of the frame may be height adjustable.

In one form of the invention, the frame and panels may be fixed in a position relative to the cold box.

The frame and panels may be foldable from a stored condition in which they lie flush with the rear wail of the cold box, into a deployed or erected position, in a vertically orientated position relative to the cold box.

In the preferred form of the invention, the panels comprise solar panels which serve the dual purpose of providing shelter as well as an energy source for the cold box.

In one form, the panels are rotatably mounted on the frame.

The frame may further be provided with a gas strut to assist in deployment and / or collapsing of the frame. in an embodiment of the invention, the frame is rotatably mounted on the handle, and during deployment and collapsing, swings between the stored condition and deployed conditions. in a further embodiment of the invention, the frame comprises a cross-bar mounted on telescoping uprights which are housed in channels formed in the rear of the body of the cold box. A further channel is provided for receiving the frame and panels in their collapsed condition for storage when not deployed.

A suitable stop mechanism is provided to maintain the telescoping uprights in their extended vertical condition.

In a further embodiment of the invention , the panels are provided in an articulated array with the panels being hinged along their lengths to permit them to be moved from a deployed condition in which the array is presented as a substantially fiat surface to maximize surface area exposed to the sun and to provide maximum shelter thereunder, to a folded condition for storage in which the outer panels in the array are folded inwardly toward the center of the array such that the panels lie atop one another in a stacked configuration. In this condition, the frame and panels are then tilted vertically to lie paraiiel with the telescoping uprights to permit the telescoping uprights to be released and slide into the channels within which they are housed for storage, the frame and panels sliding simultaneously into the channel provided therefore. The solar panels are required to be lightweight and robust. Accordingly, each panel comprises a siring of photovoltaic wafer cells housed with a plastic casing, the casing including front and back portions securab!e to one another about the cells, the front portion comprising a clear lens and the rear comprising a reinforced polymeric material. Reinforcing may be provided by a series of ribs. The lens portion preferably comprises high impact polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and both front and back portions are preferably injection moulded.

The panels are lightweight, waterproof, durable and individually replaceable.

The trolley of the invention further houses a compressor for the cold box and the components necessary to power the compressor. The components include a battery pack linked to the compressor and to a power converter and charge regulator with which the solar panel is in electrical communication.

The cold box is mounted within the body or bin of the trolley which includes thermal insulation surrounding the cold box and a hinged lid which is also thermally insulated.

The trolley may further be provided with a power outlet for charging a mobile phone or as a power source for an iPod or the like device. Similarly a light source may be mountable below the solar panels, also powered by solar. Further, a Wi-Fi receiver and transmitter may also be provided on the trolley.

The trolley of the invention therefor provides not only a standalone, solar-powered freezer, but may effectively operate as a mobile business hub for the operator.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of a trolley of the invention;

Figures 2 a, b and c are similar perspective views of the trolley of figure 1 illustrating deployment of the solar panels

Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the preferred form of the invention Figures 4 and 5 are side and rear views of the trolley of figure 3;

Figures 6 and 7 are front and rear perspective views of the trolley of figure 3 with the panels in the stored condition;

Figures 8 and 9 are front and side views of the trolley with the solar panels deployed;

Figures 10a and 10b are perspective views of the soiar array and a so!ar panel respectively;

Figures 1 l a, b and c are perspective views illustrating the folding mechanism of the soiar panel array;

Figure 2 is a perspective side view of the trolley with a fixed frame and soiar panels;

Figure 13 is a further perspective side view of the trolley with a fixed frame and soiar panels, showing the access point to the components of the solar freezer;

Figure 14 (a) shows a view of the inside of the soiar freezer;

Figure 14(b) shows a cross sectional view of the solar freezer, showing the internal structure thereof; and

Figure 15 shows a perspective top view of a power outlet provide by the solar freezer.

!n figure 1 , a trolley 10 includes a body or bin 12 mounted on two rear wheels 14 and including a power converter and charge regulator 16, batteries 18 and a compressor 20. Cold box 22 is surrounded by thermal insulation 24 and the trolley is provided with a hinged, thermally insulated lid 26. Handle 28 is provided for pushing the trolley.

The irolley 10 is further provided with an array 30 of soiar panels 32 rotatabiy mounted on a frame 34 which is in turn mounted on the trolley 10. In an embodiment of the invention, the frame and panels are movable between a stored condition (figure 1 ) through the partially deployed conditions of figures 2a and b, to that shown in figure 2c. Once in this position, the frame 34 and panels 32 are rotated and positioned for maximum exposure to the sun, in so doing also providing shelter for an operator thereunder. Deployment and collapsing of the frame and panels may be assisted by a gas strut (not shown).

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in figures 1 to 15, a portion of the frame 34 is fixed in a vertically orientated position and includes a further angled portion 50 which holds the soiar panels 32 to obtain enough exposure to the sun and furthermore, to provide shade to the trolley 10. In a further embodiment, the vertically orientated portion of the frame 34 is height adjustable.

In relation to the embodiment having a moveable frame 34 and panels, and turning to figure 3, the array 30 of solar panels 32 is mounted on a frame comprising a pair of telescoping uprights 36 and a crossbar 38. The crossbar comprises a fixed shaft 40 with a rotatable mounting element 42 to which the solar panel array is attached. The panels in the array are affixed to an undercarriage comprising a series of articulated arms 44 (figure 9) which permits the panels to fold out side-by-side into a flat structure as shown in figures 3 and 10a. The folding operation is illustrated in figures 1 1 a, b and c.

The rotatable mounting element 42, permits tilting of the array to maintain maximum exposure of the array to the sun.

The uprights are housed in channels 46 located either side of the rear 48 of the trolley. A further channel 50 houses the folded panels when not deployed (see figures 3 to 7).

Whilst it is obvious that the trolley finds particular application with solar panels to provide an energy source, it is clear that if the solar panels where replaced by panels or ordinary plastic or the like, and the compressor, batteries and converter were removed, the trolley could find use as a conventional cold box with a shelter, with dry ice or another coolant being located in the cold box.

The advantages to making use of solar panels and rendering the trolley capable of being used as a solar freezer are obvious.