Today's society and culture has become increasingly mobile and de-centralized. The competitive corporate world, internet, mobile devices and international economy have contributed to a workforce that is always on the move. This global mobile economy has created a workforce that is in constant flux both due to the speed at which the internet and mobile devices facilitate business transactions and the speed at which customers and clients demand response. Working at this rapid pace from different locations brings about a number of concerns and problems. Obtaining safe, good and nutritious food on the go has thus become a major challenge for people. Fast food may be convenient but generally has low nutritional value.
Food available on mass transportation like on trains and planes is also generally low quality and may pose safety concerns with contamination, etc.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a way to provide people with safe, good and nutritious food in a mobile, convenient manner.
A more detailed understanding may be had from the following description, given by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
In some embodiments, the invention relates to a portable travel bag with modular components intended to provide the ability to store and cook food with outside a kitchen. The device is designed to comply with most airline luggage requirements, using lightweight components and materials. The device contains slots and a power supply that allows the user to plug in and out components including a toaster, an egg cooker, a meat warmer, a refrigerator, a microwave, a coffee maker, a juicer, and a blender. The bag includes space to pack other travel necessities to create an all-in-one travel capability for those that prefer the flexibility to cook their own light fare, to store perishable items, and to make hot or cold drinks.
Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts,
Enclosure 100 may be configured in hard sided and soft sided versions, optimized in both dimensions and weight to adhere to current travel standards. The hard sided cases may be made of durable Polycarbonate ABS hard shell materials for maximum impact resistance and the soft sided cases will be made of strong but lightweight 1680d nylon. Some exemplary sizes of the enclosure may be: a full sized checkable bag measuring for example in the range of 29″H×22″W×11″D (expandable to 13″D) and a carry on version measuring for example in the range of 21″ H×15″ W×8.5″. D. The empty weight of the full sized bag without modules but including the battery and power supply will be approximately 28 lbs. The empty weight for the carry-on bag without the modules but including the battery and power supply will be approximately 18 lbs.
Referring now to
Modular bag or case 210 also includes a fixed handle 224 and an extendible or extensible telescopic type handle 228. Handle 228 may be connected to the back surface 270 of the modular bag 210 allowing for wheeled transport but it should be understood that other types of handle and wheels may be implemented by those skilled in the art. Additionally, modular bag 210 of the present invention may, of course, be implemented without the extendible handle 228 and/or the wheels 244 and just with a fixed handle 224.
Sidewalls 250 may also include one or more vents 252 and interfaces 254 and 258. Interfaces 254 and 258 may include computer or charging type interfaces such as USB or AC/DC type interfaces used for charging to power the cooking components of system 200. In some embodiments, the modular bag 210 will feature a battery and power supply with handling capacity of up to 1350 VA and 810 W, while the carry-on size will feature a smaller capacity battery, capable of handling 750 VA and 450 W of load. The power units will measure for example in the range of 11″H×22″W×1.5″D in the large bag and for example in the range of 11″H×15″Wד1.5” D in the carry-on. The power units will contain battery packs comprised of, for example, Lithium Ion Batteries with no more than 25 grams of Equivalent Lithium Content (ELC) per battery. Other rechargeable battery types may be used including those with the following chemistries; Nickel Cadmium (NiCd), Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH), Lithium Ion (Li Ion) and Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) variations (AGM, Gel).
Additionally, modular bag 210 may incorporate wheel 270 where each wheel 270 provide additional charging capability to the battery pack so that the battery can be charged as the travels wheels the cases during their travel. A variety of regenerative power mechanisms/recapturing/storing mechanisms, to capture and store energy in the system 200 may be used to capture and store the energy including using a spring, a flywheel, a battery or a capacitor, such as a linear electrical generator that charges a batterylike ultracapacitor when the system 200 moves or is shaken. In some embodiments, modular bag 210 may incorporate a permanent magnet that provides a constant magnetic field and a handle or interlocking twisting apparatus or other item that serves as the rotational winding to create the necessary electric field to generate the power required to power the components or charge the battery. The power that is generated from the wheels turning or a user's manual cranking, shaking or twisting will create power to recharge the batteries without finding an outside electrical source such as a wall outlet. The manually created energy is stored inside of internal rechargeable battery cells within each cooking component or within the bag 210 as a main or auxiliary power source and may be supplemented by conventional batteries or charging.
Moreover, cylindrical kinetic energy chargers may be embedded in each of the four corners of the case that further provide charging capability to the battery packs. As the case moves, whether while being wheeled by the user, stored in the trunk of a moving car, or in the luggage compartment of an airplane, the battery pack will be continuously charged, allowing longer usage of the modules without needing external source of A/C current for power.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to
In other embodiments, cooking component 500 may include a coupling tab 55 to help interface with another component. Interfacing may assist in transferring or sharing heat from one or more of the cooking components to be reclaimed for one or more of the other cooking components. Coupling tab may be a mechanical connection or electromechanical connect for enabling the transfer of heat from one component to another such as in a heat sink like arrange.
Each cooking module may measure for example in the range of 10″H×10″ W×7″D, or may measure for example in the range of 21″H×10″W×10″D. The toaster/egg cooker/meat warmer, coffee/tea maker, and blender modules may each weigh approximately 4 lbs. The refrigerator and juicer may each weigh approximately 6.5 lbs., and the microwave will weigh approximately 11 lbs.
Referring to
The modular approach of the present invention allows the user to customize the preparation and cooking needs for a given trip or for individual preferences. The product can be produced in differing sizes and have different numbers of slots based upon the size of the case. The bags contain lightweight flexible cloth heat shielding material to reflect radiant heat away from the interior of the bag. The case also acts as a standard suitcase, with room for clothes, toiletries, and other typical uses for suitcases. These features offer flexibility for a user based upon the type and duration of a trip. For instance, a carry-on sized case with a single slot can provide the user with the ability to pack overnight clothes and toiletries while also have a toaster to provide a small breakfast in his room. Modules are secured in place via spring-loaded locking tabs in the sides of the slotted enclosures. The modules can be released from the bag by depressing the tabs and lifting the component out of the slotted enclosures, each measuring 0.5″ wide per side.
Power is provided by a set of built-in batteries within the case and a power supply that can be plugged into a standard outlet for directly powering the modules or for charging the batteries. A battery pack is embedded in each case that provides sufficient power to make at least two meals, depending upon the size and quantity of food being prepared.
The toaster module, containing heating elements made from nickel-chromium alloy, can produce heat up to approximately 310°. The excess heat from the toaster module is reclaimed to assist in warming the meat and cooking the egg in order to maximize energy efficiency. Additionally, the heat generated from cooking the egg may also be used to assist in warming the meal in order to recapture some of the energy generated in the system so that the heat/energy generated by the system may be reused efficiently. In this instances, cooking components have interfaces to other cooking components in order to help transfer or share energy such as heat between the components. Such a coupling or link may be mechanical or electrical between the components to efficiently transfer energy between the two.
In other embodiments, a piezoelectric cooler allows for the short-term storage of perishable items without the need for compressors or liquid coolants. The cooler will be capable of storing foods to 45° below the external temperature. For safety, replaceable fuses are embedded in the case in the event of overheating or electrical faults. Moreover, there are pressure sensitive tabs enclosed in the case that will interrupt the circuit when depressed to avoid accidental use of the modules while the case is closed. Storage compartments are also provided for utensils, plates, tableware and other cooking accessories. The cooking modules do not use open flames, and do not require fuel thus providing additional safety for the user. Lack of fuel or other combustible materials make these bags safe and effective for air travel, either as checked luggage or carry on and stowed in an overhead bin. The batteries are preferably not removable and fall within current Federal Aviation Administration regulations for air travel. This product can be brought on planes and used in hotel rooms as well as automobiles and while camping.
Two or more case sizes provide flexibility for differing cooking needs. A larger case will contain two slots that can hold two single unit modules or one double unit module. The single unit modules include a toaster, egg cooker/meat warmer, a refrigerator, a coffee/tea maker, a juicer, and a blender. A microwave is provided as a double-unit module due to electrical and size requirements. The modules slide into slots with two rims built into the case and lock into place. They can be easily switched in and out as needed. There is an electrical receptacle at the base of each slot that the modules plug into for power. Each single unit sized module contains a plug at the bottom that fits into the receptacle, while the double-unit size modules contain two plugs that align to two receptacles across the two slots in the case. The smaller case contains a single slot for any single unit sized module. The larger case will function with one or two single sized modules attached, or with on double sized module. The toaster/egg cooker/meat warmer will have capacity to toast 2 slices of bread, cook one egg, and heat approximately 3 ounces of pre-cooked meat. The refrigerator may have a capacity range of 1-10 liters. The coffee/tea maker component has the ability to brew in the range of 1-20 ounces of coffee or tea. The blender component may have a 1-20 ounce capacity.
Although features and elements are described above in particular combinations, each feature or element can be used alone or in any combination with or without the other features and elements. For example, each feature or element as described above with reference to
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/795,740, filed Oct. 25, 2012 the contents of which are incorporated entirely by reference herein.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4337081 | Gay | Jun 1982 | A |
4609084 | Thomas | Sep 1986 | A |
5257509 | Harris | Nov 1993 | A |
5293859 | Lisker | Mar 1994 | A |
6541738 | Casasola | Apr 2003 | B1 |
6915797 | Lightbourne | Jul 2005 | B1 |
7415794 | Thompson | Aug 2008 | B1 |
20080296286 | Liang | Dec 2008 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20140116413 A1 | May 2014 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
61795740 | Oct 2012 | US |