Keeping Gadgets cool in your car

[sumo_baby]

Hey guys,

I was wondering if you could help me.

For my A-level product at 6th form college im designing a product that would keep electrical gadgets such as; phones, ipods, laptops, hard drives and so on cool whilst you leave your car in the blazing heat.

This summer has been a hot one for most of us, and as your aware screens on devices a prone to crack in excess heat. It's also not recommended that certain objects are left subject to temperatures exceeding 40'c.

So what i would LOVE to know from you guys is. Whether you think my idea is a good one? But most importantly what items would you store in my device?

Thanks for your help in advance.
God Bless,
Dan

[mickdesigns]

Sounds like a good idea you have there already, as i have many's a time left my phone in the car only to return to find it nearly boiling! Your idea is very very good, although you would have to think about how you are going to produce the product without it consuming to much electricity from the battery... yet at the same time, enough to keep the product cool enough or else this will drain the battery on the car.

I suggest you do plenty of research into how things can be kept cool and what material could be used to keep them at an reasonable temperature.

Good luck with your creation, hope it works out for you!

[iboon]

Switched, negative-ground device that goes in your glove box. Only active when car is turned off. That way, when the car is off and glovebox light is off as well, device is activated. All it really needs to be is a quasi-active Thermos-like device.

[bobb-mini]

It's unecessary to have an active "device" (we Yanks would call this a cool box), all anybody need is automakers start making their gloveboxes insulated and sealed. A separate "device" would tend to take precious space available in a typical passenger vehicle.

My 0.02.

[iboon]

It's unecessary to have an active "device" (we Yanks would call this a cool box), all anybody need is automakers start making their gloveboxes insulated and sealed. A separate "device" would tend to take precious space available in a typical passenger vehicle.

My 0.02.

Well, since it can be small enough to hold a cell or iPod, I question how much room this would take. You speak of taking up the whole glovebox; I speak of making a smaller, unobtrusive, secure "cool safe" to keep possessions in.

Alternatively, it really could be located anywhere; think of all the useless console space so many cars have.

Both ideas have merit.

[bobb-mini]

small enough to hold a cell or iPod, I question how much room this would take.
Well the OP mentioned laptop, seen how huge the latest "laptops" are? I dunn know why people think a 17" laptop is better than (perfect to me) 12" incher, just 'cuz they go "wow, only $100 bux more for a bigger screen!"

Anyways, a passive (unpowered, insulated) box will do. The whole world is going GREEN, by necessity. In my strong opinion, solutions that takes little power better then lotsa power and NO POWER at all is best. OP should get an extra grade point for paying attention to this and going GREEN.

[iboon]

Well the OP mentioned laptop, seen how huge the latest "laptops" are? I dunn know why people think a 17" laptop is better than (perfect to me) 12" incher, just 'cuz they go "wow, only $100 bux more for a bigger screen!"

Anyways, a passive (unpowered, insulated) box will do. The whole world is going GREEN, by necessity. In my strong opinion, solutions that takes little power better then lotsa power and NO POWER at all is best. OP should get an extra grade point for paying attention to this and going GREEN.

Using car battery power at a low level isn't akin to burning coal, although I agree with you :)

Laptops are a tricky one. I think location can be figured out after the OP decided what this thing's going to be. Location will follow form.

[pohatu771]

I'd use it for whatever I had with me... I don't think I'd buy it just for my iPod. If, for some reason, I was carrying an extra hard drive with me, and wanted to leave it in my car, I'd put it in there.

Hey, if I had a sandwich and needed to go into a store, I'd stick that in there.

[iboon]

I'd use it for whatever I had with me... I don't think I'd buy it just for my iPod. If, for some reason, I was carrying an extra hard drive with me, and wanted to leave it in my car, I'd put it in there.

Hey, if I had a sandwich and needed to go into a store, I'd stick that in there.

Yep. Point being that the size can be bihg enough to accomodate a medium-size laptop at the most, but the height needn't be too great.

I could see this mounted in the trunk, off to the side like a first-aid kit is in a VW.