Modular system for thermally controlled packaging devices
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
F25D-003/08
B65D-081/02
B65D-081/38
출원번호
US-0342761
(2012-01-03)
등록번호
US-8938986
(2015-01-27)
발명자
/ 주소
Matta, Auston R.
Cless, Craig M.
Melcher, Philip T.
MacMillan, Matthew J.
VanderPlas, Benjamin G.
Maltas, Kenneth L.
Amin, Kushal S.
출원인 / 주소
Sonoco Development, Inc.
대리인 / 주소
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
2인용 특허 :
13
초록▼
A modular container for maintaining an article under controlled temperature conditions includes a generally rectangular box-shaped enclosure defining an interior volume, wherein at least one enclosure side includes an access opening to allow for insertion or removal of the article within the interio
A modular container for maintaining an article under controlled temperature conditions includes a generally rectangular box-shaped enclosure defining an interior volume, wherein at least one enclosure side includes an access opening to allow for insertion or removal of the article within the interior volume, and wherein enclosure sides may be made of an insulating material. The modular container further includes at least two first phase change elements including a first phase change material, wherein each of said at least two first phase change elements is positioned adjacent one of a pair of opposed enclosure sides, at least two buffer inserts disposed within said enclosure, and at least two second phase change elements including a second phase change material, to one of the at least two buffers inserts wherein the second phase change material changes phase at a different temperature than the first phase change material.
대표청구항▼
1. A modular container for maintaining an article under controlled temperature conditions comprising: a generally rectangular box-shaped enclosure defining an interior volume, wherein at least one enclosure side comprises an access opening to allow for insertion or removal of the article within the
1. A modular container for maintaining an article under controlled temperature conditions comprising: a generally rectangular box-shaped enclosure defining an interior volume, wherein at least one enclosure side comprises an access opening to allow for insertion or removal of the article within the interior volume, and wherein enclosure sides are made of an insulating material;at least two first phase change elements comprising a first phase change material and disposed within said enclosure, wherein each of said at least two first phase change elements are positioned adjacent one of a pair of opposed enclosure sides;at least two buffer inserts releasably interconnected and disposed within said enclosure, wherein each of the at least two buffer inserts is positioned adjacent to one of the at least two first phase change elements on an opposite side thereof from the sides of the enclosure to define a payload volume for the article;at least two second phase change elements comprising a second phase change material and disposed within said enclosure, wherein each of said at least two second phase change elements are positioned adjacent to one of the at least two buffer inserts on an opposite side thereof from the first phase change elements, and wherein the second phase change material changes phase at a different temperature than the first phase change material; anda centering element disposed within said enclosure, wherein said centering element is positioned adjacent to a side of the enclosure that is perpendicular to an orientation of the at least two first phase change elements, and wherein said centering element provides at each of the pair of opposed enclosures sides adjacent to the first phase change elements centering support to position each of said two first phase change elements generally centrally relative to one opposed side of the article within the interior volume. 2. The modular container of claim 1, wherein the centering element comprises a centering ring. 3. The modular container of claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises a structurally rigid insulating material. 4. The modular container of claim 3, wherein the structurally rigid insulating material is a composite material. 5. The modular container of claim 1, wherein each of the at least two first phase change elements and the at least two second phase change elements comprises a panel of enclosed phase change material. 6. The modular container of claim 5, wherein the enclosed phase change material is loaded on a phenolic foam-based substrate. 7. The modular container of claim 5, wherein the enclosed phase change material is a liquid, gel, or other hydrocolloid material. 8. The modular container of claim 1, wherein the at least two first phase change elements are in a solid phase and the at least two second phase change elements are in a liquid phase. 9. The modular container of claim 8, wherein the at least two first phase change elements provide an upper temperature limit and the at least two second phase change elements provide a lower temperature limit, thereby maintaining the article within a temperature range. 10. The modular container of claim 1 comprising six first phase change elements and six second phase change elements, thereby providing thermal protection for each side of the enclosure. 11. The modular container of claim 1, wherein the at least two first phase change elements differ in size from the at least two second phase change elements. 12. The modular container of claim 1 comprising four first phase change elements and four second phase change elements. 13. The modular container of claim 12, wherein two of the four first phase change elements differ in size from two other of the four first phase change elements. 14. The modular container of claim 1 comprising an additional first phase change element positioned adjacent to one of the at least two first phase change elements, thereby providing additional thermal capacity to the modular container. 15. The modular container of claim 1 wherein said centering element is positioned in supporting contact with the at least two first phase change elements so as to support said first phase change elements securely and centrally about the article. 16. The modular container of claim 1, wherein the at least two buffer inserts comprise a structurally rigid insulating material, thereby reducing conductive heat flow between the first and second phase change elements. 17. The modular container of claim 1, wherein the at least two buffer inserts comprise modular adaptations to provide selective configurability to accommodate various sized articles to be packaged within the container. 18. The modular container of claim 17, wherein the modular adaptations comprise one or more opposing pairs of thin cut-outs, located on lateral edges of the buffer inserts, to allow for the at least two buffer inserts to be interlocked with one another by sliding the cut-out of one of the at least two buffer inserts over the cut-out of another of the at least two buffer inserts. 19. The modular container of claim 1 comprising four buffer inserts interconnected at modular adaptations thereof to form a four-sided barrier between the first phase change elements and the second phase change elements. 20. The modular container of claim 1 comprising an additional centering element positioned adjacent to the centering element, thereby allowing a relatively smaller phase change element to be generally side-centered with respect to the article. 21. The modular container of claim 1, wherein the at least two buffer inserts are selectively interconnectable with each other to define a larger or a smaller payload volume for the article. 22. The modular container of claim 1, further comprising a selected additional first phase change element or second phase change element positioned adjacent to a like phase change element within the enclosure, wherein adjacent, like phase change elements form a double-thickness layer of phase change elements. 23. The modular container of claim 1, wherein the at least two first phase change elements and/or the at least two second phase change elements comprises phase change elements of differing sizes. 24. The modular container of claim 23, wherein phase change elements of differing sizes are partitioned from a single phase change element base platform. 25. The modular container of claim 23, wherein one of the at least two first phase change elements and/or the at least two second phase change elements is one half or one quarter the size of another of the at least two first phase change elements and/or the at least two second phase change elements. 26. The modular container of claim 1, wherein the at least two buffer inserts are interconnectable with each other to define an inner volume and an outer volume, the first volume being outside of a perimeter defined by the buffer inserts, between the buffer inserts and sides of the enclosure, and the second volume being within the perimeter defined by the buffer inserts, wherein the article is disposed within the second volume, andwherein the interconnectability of the buffer inserts is selectively configurable to allow relative proportions of the inner and outer volumes to be adjusted to accommodate various sizes of phase change elements being disposed therein. 27. The modular container of claim 26, wherein the interconnectability of the buffer inserts is selectively configured so as to minimize empty air space within the inner and outer volumes when the phase change elements are disposed therein. 28. The modular container of claim 26, wherein the at least two first or second phase change elements are selected from a set of modular phase change elements, designed for use in multiples and for interchangeability. 29. The modular container of claim 26, wherein the at least two first or second phase change elements are selected from a set of modular phase change elements, and employ at least one phase change material selected with a targeted phase change temperature, that permits a modular phase change element to achieve a thermal performance that differs depending on the targeted phase change temperature. 30. The modular container of claim 26, wherein the at least two first or second phase change elements are selected from a set of modular phase change elements, and a multiple of modular phase change elements is used to achieve a selected thermal performance. 31. A modular container for maintaining an article under controlled temperature conditions comprising: a generally rectangular box-shaped enclosure defining an interior volume, wherein at least one enclosure side comprises an access opening to allow for insertion or removal of the article within the interior volume, and wherein enclosure sides are made of an insulating material;at least two first phase change elements comprising a first phase change material and disposed within said enclosure, wherein each of said at least two first phase change elements are positioned adjacent one of a pair of opposed enclosure sides;at least two buffer inserts disposed within said enclosure, wherein each of the at least two buffer inserts is positioned adjacent to one of the at least two first phase change elements on an opposite side thereof from the sides of the enclosure to define a payload volume for the article;at least two second phase change elements comprising a second phase change material and disposed within said enclosure, wherein each of said at least two second phase change elements are positioned adjacent to one of the at least two buffer inserts on an opposite side thereof from the first phase change elements, and wherein the second phase change material changes phase at a different temperature than the first phase change material; anda centering element disposed within said enclosure, wherein said centering element is positioned adjacent to a side of the enclosure that is perpendicular to an orientation of the at least two first phase change elements, and wherein said centering element is positioned in supporting contact with the at least two first phase change elements so as to support said elements generally centrally along the respective side of the enclosure to which said elements are adjacent;wherein the centering element comprises an open generally rectangular shape to allow a phase change element to be disposed within an interior portion thereof. 32. The modular container of claim 31 further comprising: an additional first phase change element or second phase change elementpositioned adjacent to a like phase change element within the enclosure,wherein the additional phase change element provides additional thermal capacity to the modular container. 33. The modular container of claim 31, further comprising: at least four phase change elements disposed within said enclosure, two of which being disposed adjacent to a first side of the enclosure and the other two of which being disposed adjacent to a second side of the enclosure;wherein the at least two buffer inserts are selectively interconnectable with each other to define a larger or a smaller payload volume for the article and to provide structural support to maintain the phase change elements in their respective positions. 34. The modular container of claim 33, wherein said centering element is positioned adjacent to a side of the enclosure that is perpendicular to an orientation of the four phase change elements, and wherein said centering element is positioned in supporting contact with the four phase change elements so as to support said elements generally centrally along the respective side of the article to which said elements are adjacent.
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