Patent Application
20050082298
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to containers and, in particular, to systems and methods that utilize containers for storing items so that the temperature of the items may be maintained, raised and/or cooled as desired.
2. Description of the Related Art
Oftentimes, it is desirable to transport items, such as beverages, for example, in a portable container or cooler so that convenient access to the beverages is provided, such as while playing golf, attending sporting events, going to a beach, etc. Hereinbefore, such a container typically has been formed of either insulating material, for maintaining the temperature of previously chilled beverages, or a combination of insulating material and cooling material, such as blue ice, for instance, whereby the cooling material chills a beverage stored within the container and the insulating material tends to maintain the temperature of both the cooling material and the chilled beverages.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,176, issued to Johnson, et al., discloses a beverage cooler, which includes a cylindrical freezer-pack insert to be placed into a cup, and a cover. In an embodiment of the Johnson device, the cylindrical freezer-pack insert includes removable sections to change its size, and removable plugs for putting coolant fluid into the removable sections. Since, however, the Johnson device is adapted for inserting within an individual cup, the device is limited for use in cooling one beverage at a time.
As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,345, issued to Atkinson, discloses a cooling container for canned beverages. The Atkinson device includes a reusable concave container for carrying and cooling canned beverages having a bottom section containing a plurality of cylindrical compartments, a top section containing corresponding compartments having a slow warming cooling gel in the upper end thereof, and a shoulder strap for carrying the container. While it is apparent that the Atkinson device addresses the problem of cooling multiple beverages simultaneously, it does not, however, provide for increased cooling efficiency of the beverages stored therein, as the cooling gel is stored only in the upper end of the container.
It also may be desirable to transport other items in a portable container. By way of example, various items, such as fluids, organs and/or other medical-related items, may require transport. Heretofore, these items typically have been transported within containers that are not specifically adapted for these items. This inadequacy also is prevalent in fields other than the medical industry.
Containers and methods involving the use of such containers are provided. An embodiment of a container for storing an item comprises: an insulating material defining an interior, the insulating material comprising a bio-based polyurethane; and a temperature-maintaining material disposed within the interior, the temperature-maintaining material being arranged to maintain a temperature of an item placed with the interior.
An embodiment of a method comprises: providing a container, the container having: an insulating material defining an interior, the insulating material comprising a bio-based polyurethane; and a temperature-maintaining material disposed within the interior, the temperature-maintaining material being arranged to maintain a temperature of an item placed with the interior.
Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.
The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. In the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
Reference will now be made in detail to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views. As shown in
Access to the storage chamber(s) 70, such as for the insertion and/or removal of beverage containers 90, preferably is facilitated by one or more caps 80 which removably engage the shell 20. For example, in the preferred embodiment depicted in
Preferably, storage chamber(s) 70 are defined by inner walls of a re-freezable material chamber 50 which is adapted to receive and retain a quantity of re-freezable material 30. Preferably, the re-freezable material chamber 50 is adapted to conform to the exterior surface of a beverage container 90 and, therefore, fills the interstices formed between the various containers. Preferably, in embodiments which are adapted for receiving one beverage container within each storage chamber, each beverage container is surrounded and engaged by the inner wall of the re-freezable material chamber, i.e., on all of its sides and its top.
An insulation chamber 40 preferably is provided between the re-freezable material chamber 50 and the shell 20. Preferably, insulation chamber 40 is filled with an efficient insulating material 60, such as polyurethane foam or other suitable material. So configured, each beverage container inserted within a storage chamber 70 is encased by a layer of re-freezable material, as well as within a layer of insulation for maintaining the temperature of the re-freezable material at a suitable temperature.
Additionally, cooler 100 may be provided with a handle 10 so that the cooler is easily transportable. The handle may be formed of numerous suitable materials, such as plastic or leather, for instance, and may be fastened to the cooler in any conventional manner so that the weight of the cooler and any beverage container stored therein does not cause the handle to separate and detach from the shell 20.
As depicted in
Reference will now be made to
As shown in
Referring now to
As shown in greater detail in
Insulation also may be provided within the door. More specifically, the door may be formed with an insulation-receiving recess 210 that is sized and shaped for receiving a layer(s) of insulation 220. In order to maintain the insulation 220 in position relative to the door, a door insulation retainer 230 may be provided that is adapted to securely engage the door.
In order to facilitate moving the door from its closed position (depicted in
As shown in
As shown in
In addition to substantially maintaining relative positions of items stored within the container, the material of the item-receiving retainer may be suitably selected so as to provide shock absorbing. In these embodiments, such as those embodiments formed of a foamed material, for example, the item-receiving retainer may reduce the tendency of an item to break within the container.
In some embodiments, various configurations of item-receiving retainers may be provided. More specifically, multiple item-receiving retainers may be provide with a given container, with each item-receiving retainer being adapted to receive various configurations of items for storage within the container. So provided, the container may be adapted so as to specifically accommodate transporting and cooling of particularly sized and shaped items.
Another embodiment of a container in accordance with the present invention is depicted schematically in
Container 100 of
Access to the storage chamber is provided by a removable lid 327. Lid 327 can optionally house insulation and/or temperature-maintaining material. In the embodiment of
Note, the outer shell, insert and inner shell can be held in an assembled configuration by various techniques. For instance, when a foam-type insulation is used, the foam can be injected into gap 323 so that a portion of the foam contacts the inner shell. This enables the insulation to perform as an adhesive for bonding the inner shell to the outer shell and insert.
Reference will now be made to
As shown in
Preferably, each of the base, sidewalls and lid, in addition to incorporating a temperature-maintaining material chamber and associated temperature-maintaining material, includes an insulation chamber (360, 362, 364, 366) with insulation 370 arranged therein. Note, the various chambers can be defined by a substantially rigid material that also can be used to form the exterior shell 372 of the container.
Attachment of the base, sidewalls and lid to each other can be accomplished in numerous manners. By way of example, one or more of the sidewalls could be hingedly attached to the base. Hinged attachment can be facilitated by hinge mechanisms (not shown) or by a portion of the material of the exterior shell (not shown), for example, that is adapted to flex or bend to accommodate movement of the sidewall with respect to the base. Note, several different attachment configurations will be described later.
As shown in
Various insulation and temperature-maintaining materials can be used. For example, polyurethane foam can be used as the insulation, and a gel-forming polymer such as polyacrylate/polyalcohol copolymers can be used as the temperature-maintaining material. Clearly, various other materials could be used depending upon characteristics such as the intended operating temperature range, desired weight of the container, and stability/compatibility within the item(s) stored, among others. The selection of the particular materials is considered within the knowledge of one of skill in the art.
Clearly, various other arrangements can be used for providing the outer shell, insulation, and temperature-maintaining material so that an item placed within the storage chamber of the container can be protected and/or have its temperature maintained. Cut-away views of additional configurations are depicted in
As shown in
Another embodiment that includes a gas chamber is depicted in
As shown in
In those embodiments that are configured to unfold into a generally flattened structure, it is shown that the space taken up by the structure is somewhat less than that used when the sidewalls and lid are assembled, such as depicted in
As shown in the schematic side view of
In
As shown in
As depicted in
Another embodiment of a storage container 100 is depicted schematically in
Clearly, in other embodiments, temperature-maintaining material can be placed in one or more of the positions identified in
Various materials can be used for forming embodiments of containers in accordance with the invention. By way of example, insulation that is incorporated into and/or forms the walls, top and/or bottom of a container can be formed, at least partially, of urethane and/or bio-based urethanes, e.g., soyoyl polyol. Of particular interest is the use of bio-based urethanes, e.g., soyoyl polyol foam, as this material is biodegradable. Thus, biodegradable containers that are suitable for one-time use can be provided. In some of these embodiments, an outer shell can be used. For instance, a biodegradable material such as cardboard could be used as an outer shell that protects the insulation.
By way of further example, insulating materials may comprise bio-based polyurethanes. For instance, polyurethanes that comprise vegetable oil can be used. Non-limiting examples of vegetable oils include soybean oil, palm oil, peanut oil, rap seed oil, sunflower oil and linseed oil. Additionally or alternatively, other oils can be used, such as castor oil and lard.
Note, in the function of polyurethanes, polyols are used. Thus, the aforementioned and/or other oils can be used to form polyols. An exemplary method for forming polyols is provided in U.S. patent Application 20030088054 to Chasar, which is incorporated by reference herein.
Bio-based insulating materials also can comprise starch, such as from potatoes, or can comprise other natural materials, such as limestone.
Typically, embodiments of containers in accordance with the invention include multiple material layers. Various materials and/or combinations of materials can be used to form each of the layers, with each of the layers performing one or more of the following functions: providing structural support for the container, insulating the container and protecting the container.
With respect to supporting the container structurally, various materials can be used. By way of example, bio-based urethanes, e.g., soyoyl polyol foam, urethane foam, polystyrene and cardboard are considered useful as these materials are relatively light in weight, are relatively rigid and suited for the application of coatings (described later). Additionally, bio-based material, e.g., soyoyl polyol, urethane and polystyrene offer improved insulating properties and, thus, can enhance the insulative characteristics of the containers in which they are incorporated.
Various materials can be used to insulate the containers. In some embodiments, insulating properties of the containers are enhanced by one or more material layers in addition to the material(s) used to provide structural support for the container (described before). For example, one or more layers of bio-based materials, e.g., soyoyl polyol, urethane foam and/or polystyrene can be used. Additionally or alternatively, other materials, such as those applied as coatings, can be used. By way of example, coatings that incorporate ceramics, such as SUPERTHERM™ manufactured by Superior Products International of Shawnee, Kans. can be used. Materials such as SUPERTHERM™ can be applied to the interior and/or exterior of the containers. Specifically, the material can be applied to the material that provides structural support to the container. Additionally or alternatively, such a material can be applied to another material that is used to insulate the container.
Various materials also can be used to form an outer shell of a container. Such an outer shell can be used to protect the inner material layers of the container and, thereby, improves the durability of the container. This can allow the container to be used more than once. Various durable materials such as ureas, e.g., urea polymers and/or copolymers, cardboard, coatings that incorporate ceramics, such as SUPERTHERM™, epoxies, such as EPOXOTHERM™, and enamels, such polyurethane enamels, e.g., ENAMOGRIP™, can be used. Clearly, various other materials can be used to form an outer shell. Note, the material forming the outer shell also can provide enhancements in insulating characteristics of the container.
In some embodiments, bio-based insulating material can be applied to the material that is used to form the outer shell of the container. By way of example, when a cardboard box is used to form the outer shell, the bio-based insulating material, e.g., bio-based polyurethane, can be applied directly to an interior of the cardboard box. Specifically, in some embodiments, the bio-based polyurethane can be sprayed onto the cardboard. In other embodiments, the bio-based insulating material may be poured onto the cardboard.
In some embodiments, the material used to form the insulation of a container also can be used to form an outer shell. In particular, various materials that form outer skins or hardened layers can be used. By way of example, ureas, e.g., urea polymers and/or copolymers, can be used to form insulated structures that incorporate hardened outer surfaces. Also, materials configured as foams can be used to form insulated structures with hardened outer surfaces. These hardened outer surfaces or skins typically form as the material contacts the form into which the material is placed.
Various types of temperature-maintaining materials also can be used. By way of example, acrylate-based superabsorbents can be used. For instance, polacrylate/polyalcohol polymers and/or copolymers, such as AP85-38 manufactured by Emerging Technologies, Inc. of Greensboro, N.C., Norsocryl D-60, LiquiBlock, AT-03S, LiquiBlock 88, LiquiBlock 75, LiquiBlock 44-0C, among others can be used. In other embodiments, water and/or dry ice can be used in addition to, or in lieu of, other temperature-maintaining materials.
As described before, temperature-maintaining material can be incorporated into a container in various manners, such as by disposing the material between adjacent walls of the container and/or providing the temperature-maintaining materials in a package that can be placed within the interior of the container. Note, in use, the polymers/copolymers are allowed to absorb liquid, such as water, and the temperature of the temperature-maintaining materials can be adjusted as desired.
As mentioned before, containers of the invention can be used for storing items, while maintaining, increasing or decreasing the temperature of the items stored in the containers. The various functions associated with the containers of the invention will now be described with respect to several flowcharts. In this regard,
As shown in
Various items can be stored and/or transported within containers of the invention. For instance, food products, beverages, pharmaceutical products, and biological matter, such as plants, tissues, organs, and blood can be stored and/or transported within the containers. Clearly, various other items could be used with embodiments of the invention, particularly those items that may require their respective temperatures to be maintained, reduced and/or increased for a period of time, such as during transport.
As depicted in
Another embodiment of a method of the invention is depicted in
Several prototype containers were constructed in accordance with the invention and were subjected to testing. Results from the tests conducted will now be described.
In this example, a container was formed as a 6″×6″×6″ box with 1.5″ thick polyurethane insulation. The insulating material surrounded temperature-maintaining material in the form of a gel-forming polymer. Approximately 24 ounces of gel-forming polymer was located at the base of the container, 16 ounces of the polymer was located at the lid or top of the container. The item placed in the storage chamber was 0.74 lbs. of steak, which was placed into the storage chamber after the steak and the container were allowed to cool to a temperature of 4.9° F. The container with the item stored therein was then placed in an ambient environment which was approximately 75° F. The results of this example are depicted in
In this example, another container (8.5″×8.5″×8.25″) was formed with 1.5″ polyurethane insulation. Twenty-four ounces of gel-forming polymer was located at the base, 16 ounces of gel-forming polymer was located at each of the sidewalls, 16 ounces of gel-forming polymer was located at the lid, and 4 ounces of gel-forming polymer was located at each of the 4 corners of the container. Ground beef, (1.87 lbs.) was inserted into the storage chamber, which was then cooled to 35.8° F. After cooling, the container was placed in an ambient environment of approximately 75° F. As depicted in
In this example, a cylindrical container (see
The container was placed in a freezer, which was maintained at 1.5° F. Two cans of Bud Light® were placed in a refrigerator, which was maintained at 33.1° F. After removing the container from the freezer, the cans were placed inside the container. The container with the stored can were then placed in a room with an ambient temperature of 75.5° F. Results are depicted in
The container used in example 3 was used again in this example. This time, the container was placed in a freezer, which was maintained at 3.6° F. Two cans of Bud Light® were placed in a refrigerator, which was maintained at 33.7° F. After removing the container from the freezer, the cans were placed inside the container, which was placed in a room with an ambient temperature of 75.5° F. Results are depicted in
The container used in examples 3 and 4 was used again in this example. Two cans of Diet Coke® were inserted in the container with the container exhibiting a temperature of 4.3° F. at start, with each of the cans exhibiting a start temperature of 37.5° F. The container with the stored cans was then placed in an ambient environment of 70° F.
As depicted in
In this example, a container in a box-type configuration was used. Approximate dimensions of the container are 1.25′×1.25′×1.25′. Ten pouches of gel-forming polymer, weighing a total of 7.8 lbs., were used. The polymer was cooled to approximately 4° F. and inserted into the storage chamber of the container. In particular, the bags were placed on the bottom, sides, corners and top of the storage chamber. Hamburger meat (3″×8″×4″) weighing approximately 7.8 lbs. and exhibiting an initial temperature of 23.4° F. was then placed in the container.
In this example, the container of example 6 was used to determine the viability of antifreeze/gel-forming polymer-based refreezable material to maintain the temperature of items. In particular, one pint vanilla Haggendas® ice cream was placed in the container.
A 75:25 mixture of antifreeze (ethylene glycol) and water was mixed with 2.5 teaspoons of a dry polymer gel. Approximately 2.03 lbs. of the mixture was then dispensed into 6 Ziplock® bags and frozen in liquid nitrogen. The frozen bags and the ice cream, which had an initial temperature of 11° F., were placed in the storage chamber. The container was maintained at room temperature (72-74° F.) for 68 hours. The results are depicted in the graph of
Some embodiments of containers may be well suited for use in a transportation process that includes the on-site production of the containers. For instance, when temperature-sensitive items are to be transported from one region to another, a transportation process may be used that includes producing the container at the site where the product is located. Referring now to
As shown in
In
In operation, materials required to produce a container are provided to the container production sites. After the materials have been provided, containers can be constructed. For example, in those embodiments incorporating foam, the foam can be blended and formed on-site. Advantageously, cost reductions in shipping products from one region to another can be potentially achieved in one or more of various respects. For example, the cost of providing a container can be reduced because a manufactured container does not need to be shipped to the product site. As another example, since the temperature-maintaining characteristics may enable the use of ground transportation, the cost of air transportation may be avoided.
An embodiment of a transportation process such as that described before with respect to
A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a transportation process is depicted in
In the embodiment depicted in
In
The foregoing description has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiment or embodiments discussed, however, were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
By way of example, a container can be provided with a device for determining whether the item stored therein is being maintained at a proper temperature. This can include, for example, providing a thermometer that directly measures the temperature of the item, or measure the temperature of the storage chamber. All such modifications and variations, are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly and legally entitled.
This application is a Continuation-in-Part Application based on and claiming priority to U.S. patent application entitled “Systems and Methods for Storing Items with Containers,” having Ser. No. 10,262,314, filed on Oct. 1, 2002, which is a Continuation-in-Part Application based on and claiming priority to U.S. patent application entitled, “Systems and Methods for Storing Items with Containers,” having Ser. No. 10/236,764, filed on Sep. 5, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,557,370, issued on May 6, 2003, which is a Continuation-in-Part Application based on and claiming priority to U.S. patent application entitled “Systems and Methods for Storing Items with Containers,” having Ser. No. 10/135,606, filed on Apr. 30, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,502,417, issued on Jan. 7, 2003, which is a Continuation-in-Part Application based on and claiming priority to U.S. patent application entitled, “Transport Container,” having Ser. No. 09/817,680, filed on Mar. 26, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,484, issued on Jun. 11, 2002, which is a Continuation-in-Part Application based on and claiming priority to U.S. patent application entitled, “Re-Freezable Beverage Cooler,” having Ser. No. 09/409,319, filed Sep. 30, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,487, issued on Apr. 17, 2001, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10657323 | Sep 2003 | US |
| Child | 10964517 | Oct 2004 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10262314 | Oct 2002 | US |
| Child | 10657323 | Sep 2003 | US |
| Parent | 10236764 | Sep 2002 | US |
| Child | 10262314 | Oct 2002 | US |
| Parent | 10135606 | Apr 2002 | US |
| Child | 10236764 | Sep 2002 | US |
| Parent | 09817680 | Mar 2001 | US |
| Child | 10135606 | Apr 2002 | US |
| Parent | 09409319 | Sep 1999 | US |
| Child | 09817680 | Mar 2001 | US |
