Carbon Lunch Box 2

The second (or third) version of the Carbon Lunch Box has a better securing system and, more importantly, a lid that opens automatically. This version fits up to 8 gels, or a combination of gels and bars.

The idea to create a lid that was spring loaded came to me while trying to come up with a good solution to cover the opening. It was as easy as adding an extra extension to the lid that was hinged with rivets. The same shock cord as is used to mount the box is used to pull the lid open.

This model helped to determine the final size of the lid and how long the extensions would have to be to spring it open.

This was also the first time I used the clear outside press in the moulding. These are used to sandwich the carbon and press it firmly against the inside mold. The stiff plastic gives sharp edges and leaves the piece smooth and mostly void free.

This is fresh out of the mold. There is very little sanding needed with this process and produces an almost perfect piece. There is only a small amount of trimming and fin sanding to get the edges down and smooth.

With the opening cut, the final clear coat can be applied. Assembly is fairly simple and there are very few parts needed to attach the lid and add the cord to mount on the bike frame.

With the lid closed, the box is almost completely hidden behind the stem. Ti acts as a small fairing and helps smooth the air transition across the top of the frame.

The lid is easily opened by lifting the cord off the hanger, and it opens with immediately. It remains open until the rider pulls it back down and hooks the cord closed. Because of the lid system, the opening can be quite large to allow for easy access to the contents and makes it easy to load larger items in.