Patent Application
20250197086
This disclosure relates generally to storage racks and more specifically to temperature-controlled storage racks.
Shipping of items across the world has become increasingly important to many organizations and individuals. Items that are shipped frequently need to be packed so that they are not damaged during transit. Oftentimes various void fill materials are used to cushion items against the jolts and jostles associated with shipping. For example, bubble wrap, air pillows, packing peanuts, and crumpled paper are all common void fill materials. These materials can be ineffective when used for shipments of items requiring temperature-controlled environments. For example, air cushioned void fill (e.g., bubble wrap and/or air pillows) can deflate due to their loss of internal pressure at low temperatures or over-inflate and pop at higher temperatures. As another example, packing peanuts and crumpled paper can become rigid and fragile, thereby losing their cushioning properties. Further, internal temperatures of many temperature-controlled storage containers (e.g., dewars) can quickly leave an optimal temperature range once a temperature preservative (e.g., liquid N2) is depleted. Therefore, in view of the above, there is a need for an improved temperature controlled rack.
A storage container is provided. The storage container may include an external wall. The external wall may be a cylinder defining an outer periphery of the storage container. The storage container may include a pair of inner walls, each having a planar chord extending between two locations on an inner surface of the external wall, the inner walls dividing the cylinder into three sections. In various embodiments, an outer void is defined between at least one of the inner walls and the external wall, the outer void configured to receive a temperature buffering material. The inner void is defined between the inner walls, the inner void configured to receive an item rack to receive and secure an item in the item rack.
A further storage container is provided. The storage container may have an external wall having a closed cross-sectional shape in at least one plane and defining an outer periphery of the storage container. The storage container may have a pair of inner walls, each defining a plane between two locations on the external wall, the inner walls dividing the closed cross-sectional shape into a plurality of sections. In various embodiments, an outer void is defined between at least one of the inner walls and the external wall, the outer void configured to receive a temperature buffering material. In various embodiments, an inner void is defined between the inner walls, the inner void configured to receive an item rack to receive and secure an item in the item rack.
The storage container and/or further storage container may have one or more further feature. In various embodiments, the temperature buffering material is a scaffold exposed to a temperature modulating substance. The storage container may include a liner configured to (1) receive and envelope the temperature buffering material and (2) configured to be inserted into the outer void. The liner may include a removable lid. The scaffold may be one or more of an aerogel, fiberglass, or cotton. The storage container may include a lid configured to cover the outer void while leaving the inner void uncovered. The lid may be porous. The external wall may be non-porous. The inner wall may be non-porous. The item rack may have a handle that extends out of the storage container when the item rack is inserted into the storage container. There may also be a double-walled vacuum flask configured to receive the storage container. The item rack may be disposed inside the inner void and supporting an item for cold storage.
A method is also provided. The method may be a method of using a storage container for cold storage of an item, wherein the storage container has (i) an external wall including a cylinder defining an outer periphery of the storage container and (ii) a pair of inner walls, each having a planar chord extending between two locations on an inner surface of the external wall, the inner walls dividing the cylinder into three sections. The method may include inserting a temperature buffering material into an outer void of the storage container defined between at least one of the inner walls and the external wall and configured to receive the temperature buffering material. The method may include inserting an item rack having an item received and secured therein, into the inner void. The method may include placing the storage container into a dewar.
The method may be provided with one or more further feature. The storage container may have one or more further feature. In various embodiments, the temperature buffering material is a scaffold exposed to a temperature modulating substance. The storage container may include a liner configured to (1) receive and envelope the temperature buffering material and (2) configured to be inserted into the outer void. The liner may include a removable lid. The scaffold may be one or more of an aerogel, fiberglass, or cotton. The storage container may include a lid configured to cover the outer void while leaving the inner void uncovered. The lid may be porous. The external wall may be non-porous. The inner wall may be non-porous. The item rack may have a handle that extends out of the storage container when the item rack is inserted into the storage container. The dewar may be a double-walled vacuum flask configured to receive the storage container. The item rack may be disposed inside the inner void and supporting an item for cold storage.
An item rack may be provided for supporting an item in a container. The item rack may include a handle. The item rack may have a guiding section adjacent to the handle and having a pair of narrowing incline faces to guide an item into the item rack. The item rack may have a compression section adjacent to the guiding section and providing a pair of parallel compression faces to ameliorate dislodging of the item from the item rack. The item rack may have an enlarging section adjacent to the compression section and providing a pair of widening inclined faces. The item rack may have a retaining section adjacent to the enlarging section and providing a pair of parallel retaining faces spaced more widely apart than the pair of parallel compression faces. A floor may join the parallel retaining faces together and provide a lowermost portion of the item rack disposed opposite from the handle.
To facilitate further description of the embodiments, the following drawings are provided in which:
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. The same reference numerals in different figures denote the same elements.
Temperature-controlled storage and shipping can be considered a subset of the overall supply chain. Temperature-controlled storage and shipping containers can be useful in shipping temperature-sensitive foods, medical substances, and scientific research materials by preventing them from becoming spoiled or degraded during transit. Many packages can benefit from an uninterrupted series of temperature-controlled production, storage and distribution activities, along with the associated equipment and logistics, which maintain the shipment in the desired temperature range. The need for a successful and thriving temperature-controlled storage and shipping network has never been more apparent.
Many containers for specimens transported via temperature-controlled storage and shipping networks are ill-equipped for the coarseness of the shipping process. Oftentimes, packages are jostled, tossed, stored sideways or upside down, crushed, or subjected to any number of potentially damaging forces. While various void fill materials can be used to cushion the contents of packages, these traditional approaches function poorly in the cold chain. Further, many carriers can leave temperature-controlled storage and shipping containers in locations outside of a desired temperature range for extended periods of time. While insulated containers (e.g., dewars) can be used in these situations, these traditional approaches may not maintain temperatures in the desired range for long enough and can be difficult to transport due to their size and/or weight. Therefore, disclosed herein is a novel storage container that can both protect an item from shipping while at the same time maintain an item in a desired temperature range for an extended period of time.
Turning to the drawings,
In various embodiments, internal wall 101 and/or external wall 102 can define one or more voids and/or compartments. For example, inner void 103 and/or outer void 104 can be created by internal wall 101 and external wall 102. While inner void 103 is shown with an oblong (e.g. stadium) cross section and outer void 104 is shown with a circular sector cross section, the shape of an internal and outer void can vary. For example, a central void can comprise a triangular cross section and an outer void can comprise a circular sector cross section, a central void can comprise a circular cross section and an outer void can comprise an annular cross section, a central void can comprise a square or rectangular cross section and an outer void can comprise a multiply-connected rectangular polygon cross section, or many other combinations of shapes. In this way, an inner void can be customized for an item and/or item rack stored within the inner void.
In many embodiments, container 100 can comprise a lid 105. In many embodiments, container 100 can comprise a plurality of lids 105. Generally speaking, lid 105 can be configured to cover an entrance to outer void 104. In some embodiments, lid 105 can sit within an/or occlude outer void 104. In these or other embodiments, lid 105 can sit on top of outer void 104 and/or have an overhand extending out over one or more of internal wall 101 and/or external wall 102. In many embodiments, lid 105 can be coupled to one or more of internal wall 101 and/or external wall 102. For example, lid 105 can be hingedly coupled to one or more of internal wall 101 and/or external wall 102 via hinge 106. In these embodiments, hinge 106 can swing up so that lid 105 is above void 104 when open and/or it can swing down so that lid 105 is within void 104 when open. There may be two lids 105, each on opposite corresponding sides of the container 100, each lid 105 providing a semicircular planar cover that occludes outer void 104. Thus one may appreciate that two different outer voids 104 may extend between outer wall 103 and an inner wall 101, and each inner wall 101 may define walls of an inner void 103 between the outer voids 104.
In various embodiments, lid 105 can have one or more cutouts 107. In these embodiments, cutouts 107 enable lid 105 to become porous, thereby allowing gas exchange between outer void 104 and an external environment. In this way, a buildup of pressure from gases emitted by a temperature preservative (e.g., CO2 or N2) can be avoided. In various embodiments, one or more of internal wall 101 and/or external wall 102 can be non-porous, thereby preventing a temperature preservative and/or the external environment from leaking and/or flooding into inner void 103 and contacting whatever item is held within.
In various embodiments, lid 105 can comprise a first locking mechanism 108. In various embodiments, first locking mechanism 108 can be configured to couple with a second locking mechanism 109. In this way, a position of lid 105 can be secured when container 100 is in use. While first locking mechanism 108 and second locking mechanism 109 are shown in
In various embodiments, storage container 100 can comprise one or more handles 110. Handles 110 can extend out of one or more of internal wall 101 and/or external wall 102. Handles 110 may be metal. Handles 110 can be constructed from and/or coated with an insulating material. In various embodiments, handles 110 can pass through lid 105 via one or more handle cutouts 111. In this way, lid 105 can be actuated without being obstructed by handles 110. In this way, a user of container 100 can pick up item rack 115 (
Turning ahead in the drawings,
Turning ahead in the drawings,
With attention to
Container 100 can be manufactured in a number of different ways. For example, one or more elements of container 100 can be extruded through a die and then coupled together using techniques suitable for the material (e.g., welding for metals, adhesives for many types of materials. As another example, one or more elements of container 100 can be created by rolling, pressing, and/or machining various metals. As a final example, container 100 can be printed using a 3D printer.
Having introduced various aspects of the storage container 100, with reference to
Similarly, a storage container 100 may have an external wall 102 comprising a cylinder defining an outer periphery of the storage container 100. The storage container 100 may have a pair of inner walls 101, each comprising a planar chord extending between two locations on an inner surface of the external wall 102, the inner walls 101 dividing the cylinder into three sections. An outer void 104 is defined between at least one of the inner walls 101 and the external wall 102, the outer void 104 configured to receive a temperature buffering material 112. An inner void 103 is defined between the inner walls 101. The inner void 103 is configured to receive an item rack 115 to receive and secure an item in the item rack 115.
Turning now to
With reference now to
Referring to
The body 116 of the item rack 115 may have different portions. For instance, the body 116 may have a guiding section 130. The guiding section 130 may be adjacent to the handle 117 and may aid in guiding an item being placed into the item rack 115. For instance, the guiding section 130 may be a section opened relatively widely and transitioning to a relatively narrower area to guide an item more easily into the item rack 115. The guiding section 130 may have a first edge section 131 and a second edge section 132. The first edge section 131 and the second edge section 132 may be adjacent to the handle(s) 117 and may be generally parallel to a wall of the container 100. The first edge section 131 and second edge section 132 may provide structural rigidity to the body 116 and initial guidance to an item being inserted into the item rack 115. The guiding section 130 may also have a first narrowing incline face 132 and a second narrowing incline face 133. The first narrowing incline face 132 and the second narrowing incline face 133 may be inclined toward one another at locations increasingly farther from the handle(s) 117 along the body 116. The combination of these two faces provides a narrowing ramp or funnel to guide an item into the item rack 115.
The body 116 may have a compression section 140. The compression section 140 may be adjacent to the guiding section 130. The compression section 140 may be a narrowest portion of the body 116 and may aid in retention of the item in the item rack 115 by at least one of pressing against the item from opposing sides, and/or providing a narrowed passage to ameliorate a tendency of the item to dislodge from the item rack 115. The compression section may have a first compression face 141 and a second compression face 142. The first compression face 141 and the second compression face 142 may be parallel. In various embodiments the compression faces 141, 142 may be parallel with an inner wall of the container. The compression section may thus provide a pair of parallel compression faces 141, 142 to ameliorate dislodging of the item from the item rack 115.
The body 116 may have an enlarging section 150. The enlarging section 150 may have a first widening incline face 151 and a second widening incline face 152. The first widening incline face 151 and the second widening incline face 152 may be inclined away from one another at locations increasingly farther from the handle(s) 117 along the body 116. The enlarging section 150 may provide a transition from the compression section 140 to a larger section in which all or part of an item may be retained. As such, the first widening incline face 151 may be a reflection of the first narrowing incline face 132 and the second widening incline face 152 may be a reflection of the second narrowing incline face 133.
The body 116 of the item rack 115 may have a retaining section 160. The retaining section 160 may be adjacent to the enlarging section 150 and provide a portion of the body 116 that is farthest from the handle (s) 117. The retaining section 160 may include a first retaining face 161 and a second retaining face 162. The first retaining face 161 and the second retaining face 162 each may be generally parallel to a wall of the container 100. The first retaining face 161 may extend away from the first widening incline face 151 and the second retaining face 162 may extend away from the second widening incline face 152.
The first retaining face 161 and the second retaining face 162 may be joined by floor 163. The floor 163 may be a flange extending between and connecting the first retaining face 161 and the second retaining face 162. The floor 162 may close a lowermost portion of the body 116 (e.g., a portion farthest from the handle(s) 117) and provide a resting surface for an item in the item rack 115.
Thus, in various embodiments, an item rack 115 is provided for supporting an item in a container 100. The item rack 115 may include a handle 117. The item rack may have a guiding section 130 adjacent to the handle 117 and comprising a pair of narrowing incline faces 132, 133 to guide an item into the item rack 115. The item rack 115 may have a compression section 140 adjacent to the guiding section 130 and providing a pair of parallel compression faces 141, 142 to ameliorate dislodging of the item from the item rack 115. The item rack 115 may have an enlarging section 150 adjacent to the compression section 140 and comprising a pair of widening inclined faces 151, 152. The item rack 115 may have a retaining section 160 adjacent to the enlarging section 150 and providing a pair of parallel retaining faces 161, 162 spaced more widely apart than the pair of parallel compression faces 141, 142. A floor 163 may join the parallel retaining faces 161, 162 together and provide a lowermost portion of the item rack 115 disposed opposite from the handle 117.
The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Furthermore, the terms “include,” and “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus.
The terms “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “under,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the apparatus, methods, and/or articles of manufacture described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.
The terms “couple,” “coupled,” “couples,” “coupling,” and the like should be broadly understood and refer to connecting two or more elements mechanically and/or otherwise. Two or more electrical elements may be electrically coupled together, but not be mechanically or otherwise coupled together. Coupling may be for any length of time, e.g., permanent or semi-permanent or only for an instant. “Electrical coupling” and the like should be broadly understood and include electrical coupling of all types. The absence of the word “removably,” “removable,” and the like near the word “coupled,” and the like does not mean that the coupling, etc. in question is or is not removable.
As defined herein, two or more elements are “integral” if they are comprised of the same piece of material. As defined herein, two or more elements are “non-integral” if each is comprised of a different piece of material.
As defined herein, “approximately” can, in some embodiments, mean within plus or minus ten percent of the stated value. In other embodiments, “approximately” can mean within plus or minus five percent of the stated value. In further embodiments, “approximately” can mean within plus or minus three percent of the stated value. In yet other embodiments, “approximately” can mean within plus or minus one percent of the stated value.
Although temperature controlled containers and their related methods have been described with reference to specific embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the disclosure of embodiments is intended to be illustrative of the scope of the disclosure and is not intended to be limiting. It is intended that the scope of the disclosure shall be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims. For example, to one of ordinary skill in the art, it will be readily apparent that any element of
All elements claimed in any particular claim are essential to the embodiment claimed in that particular claim. Consequently, replacement of one or more claimed elements constitutes reconstruction and not repair. Additionally, benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described with regard to specific embodiments. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element or elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced, however, are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all of the claims, unless such benefits, advantages, solutions, or elements are stated in such claim.
Moreover, embodiments and limitations disclosed herein are not dedicated to the public under the doctrine of dedication if the embodiments and/or limitations: (1) are not expressly claimed in the claims; and (2) are or are potentially equivalents of express elements and/or limitations in the claims under the doctrine of equivalents.
