Patent Application
20170121097
The present invention relates generally to thermally insulated shipping systems and relates more particularly to thermally insulated shipping systems of the type that may be used to transport pallet-sized payloads.
Thermally insulated shipping systems of the type that may be used to transport pallet-sized payloads of temperature-sensitive materials, such as biological and/or pharmaceutical products, are well-known. Illustrative examples of thermally insulated shipping systems that may be used to transport pallet-sized payloads are discussed below.
In U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2011/0049164 A1, inventor Banks et al., which was published Mar. 3, 2011, and which is incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed an insulated pallet shipper and methods of making and using the same. The insulated pallet shipper of the foregoing published patent application is said to include an insulated container that includes a top wall, a bottom wall, a left side wall, a right side wall, a rear wall, and a front wall, the aforementioned walls collectively defining a cavity. A plurality of coolant members are positioned within the cavity, some of the coolant members being laid horizontally on top of the bottom wall, some of the coolant members being mounted vertically along the inside surfaces of the left side and right side walls, and some of the coolant members being laid horizontally on top of a tray that is positioned below the top wall. Each of the coolant members includes a plurality of stacked, individually-wrapped coolant bricks encased within a single cardboard container. The single cardboard container comprises a closed-ended sleeve, and each of the stacked, individually-wrapped coolant bricks comprises a foam refrigerant block encased in a flexible metal foil. At least some of the coolant members are pre-conditioned at a refrigerating temperature and at least some of the coolant members are pre-conditioned at a freezing temperature.
In U.S. Pat. No. 8,763,423 B2, inventor Tattam, which issued Jul. 1, 2014, and which is incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed a temperature control system for a transport container having a base and at least one side wall and a cover, the temperature control system comprising a foldable sleeve having first and second major planes, which in an unfolded state retain a thermal pack which is attached to a side of the container operable to retain temperature control (thermal packs) within, the sleeve conveniently having a spacer means to maintain a temperature within a closed container by virtue of heat transfer with the thermal pack, yet prevents contact with product.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,028,504 B2, inventor Denfield, which issued Apr. 18, 2006, and which is incorporated herein by reference, there are disclosed several embodiments of containers constructed of, for example, rigid polyurethane foam. The containers are particularly useful for, among other purposes, small and large shipments, such as via air freight, including via LD3 shipping containers. Such containers are basically formed of a bottom, preferably with a tray, for holding product, four sides, and a lid, and preferably with a coolant tray. Furthermore, the bottom, sides and lid are designed to interlock (the sides and base preferably are slide-locked or are tongue and grooved, as opposed to typical 45 degree corners that do not lock together or “grip” together), so as to reduce thermal convection. Also, preferably, a rigid polyurethane foam is molded to form a bottom for the container and can have “pallet” grooves as distinguished from using wood which can invite termite problems, particularly in an air freight environment. The coolant tray preferably is a slide-in tray which contains a suitable coolant, such as dry ice or gel packs, and which also is preferably made of rigid polyurethane foam to maintain the coolant out of direct contact with the product. In addition, the interior walls and bottom of the container can be configured to provide a convection design to create a controlled air flow within the product compartment, and this air flow can reduce the temperature gradient within the product compartment and thus provide better and even temperature control when shipping biological and other products.
In U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2013/0015191 A1, inventors Seagle et al., which was published on Jan. 17, 2013, and which is incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed a climate control container that is lightweight, strong, that forms an ultraviolet light, weather/dust particle barrier and that controls the climate inside the climate cargo container to protect the integrity of the cargo. In one embodiment, the climate control cargo container comprises (a) a load bearing structure having a first core and a first thermoplastic layer surrounding the first core; and (b) an enclosure having at least a second core and a second thermoplastic layer surrounding the second core. One or both of the load bearing structure and the enclosure have one or more pockets for locating one or more phase change materials capable of multiple cycles of phase transformation for climate control.
In PCT International Publication No. WO 2014/083320 A1, published Jun. 5, 2014, and which is incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed a thermally insulated shipping container. The shipping container comprises an inner structure including an inner base, a front inner wall, a rear inner wall opposed to the front inner wall, a pair of opposed side inner walls each extending between the front and rear inner walls and an inner lid. The container also comprises an outer structure including an outer base, a front outer wall, a rear outer wall opposed to the front inner wall, two side outer walls each extending between the front and rear outer walls and an outer lid. A cavity extends at least between the inner and outer walls, the cavity being arranged to receive a plurality of cool packs. The container, when empty, is arranged to be transported disassembled in a flat packed state prior to being assembled for use. A portion of each of the two side outer walls is hinged at one end to a respective end of one of the front or rear outer walls.
In French Patent Application Publication No. FR 2 994 420 A1, which was published Feb. 14, 2014, and which is incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed a protection cover for protecting products placed on a pallet during transport of products on vehicle. The cover has flexible rectangular sealed walls, e.g., four side walls, and a flexible wall forming a bottom, and a rectangular opening part provided in front of the bottom, where the opening part forms a parallelepiped space between the walls. One of the sealed walls is a polyurethane film or a PVC film. The opening part has a section slightly greater than that of a pallet. The side walls and the bottom have thickness ranging between 150 microns and 1 mm and are assembled along edges by thermal or ultrasounds or high frequency welding or by bonding. The publication is also directed at the following: (1) a thermal protection system for products placed on a pallet; and (2) a method for protecting products placed on a pallet during transport.
Other documents that may be of interest include the following, all of which are incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. No. 8,672,137 B2, inventors Seagle et al., issued Mar. 18, 2014; U.S. Pat. No. 8,607,581 B2, inventors Williams et al., issued Dec. 17, 2013; U.S. Pat. No. 7,913,511 B2, inventors Meyer et al., issued Mar. 29, 2011; U.S. Pat. No. 7,721,566 B1, inventor Wilken, issued May 25, 2010; U.S. Pat. No. 7,328,583 B2, inventors Hillman et al., issued Feb. 12, 2008; U.S. Pat. No. 7,257,963 B2, inventor Mayer, issued Aug. 21, 2007; U.S. Pat. No. 6,832,562 B2, inventors Tabor et al., issued Dec. 21, 2004; U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,233, inventors Cook et al., issued Sep. 23, 1997; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0301057 A1, inventors Tattam et al., published Dec. 2, 2010; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2008/0276643 A1, inventors Heroux et al., published Nov. 13, 2008; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2007/0051734 A1, inventor Kuhn, published Mar. 8, 2007; PCT International Publication No. WO 2014/023911 A1, published Feb. 13, 2014; and French Patent Application Publication No. FR 2 989 359 A1, published Oct. 18, 2013.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel shipping system that may be used to transport a pallet-sized payload.
Therefore, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a shipping system for use in transporting a pallet-sized payload, the shipping system comprising (a) a plurality of walls, the plurality of walls being arranged to define an interior volume suitable for receiving a pallet-sized payload, wherein at least one of the walls comprises at least two slots facing towards the interior volume, one of the slots being an inner slot that is more proximal to the interior volume and one of the slots being an outer slot that is more distal to the interior volume; and (b) a first cassette, the first cassette comprising a quantity of phase-change material and being removably mounted in one of the inner slot and the outer slot.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the plurality of walls may comprise a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, a left wall and a right wall.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the interior volume may have a generally rectangular prismatic shape.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the interior volume may be dimensioned to receive a payload having dimensions of length×width×height selected from at least one of 48″×40″×45″, 48″×42″×45″, and 48″×42″×46″.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, each of the top wall, the bottom wall, the front wall, the rear wall, the left wall, and the right wall may comprise thermal insulation.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the thermal insulation may comprise a panel of rigid polyurethane foam.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, each of the top wall, the front wall, the rear wall, the left wall and the right wall may comprise a pair of brackets facing towards the interior volume, each of the brackets may comprise an inner track and an outer track, the inner tracks of the pair of brackets may jointly define the inner slot, and the outer tracks of the pair of brackets may jointly define the outer slot.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the first cassette may be removably mounted in the inner slot, the shipping system may further comprise a second cassette, and the second cassette may comprise a quantity of phase-change material and may be removably mounted in the outer slot.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the first cassette and the second cassette may have similar overall dimensions.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the system may further comprise a skid, and the bottom wall, the front wall, the rear wall, the left wall and the right wall may be removably mounted in the skid.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the system may further comprise at least one corner bracket pivotally mounted on the exterior of one of said walls and constructed to support the weight of said wall when said wall is pivoted outwardly.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the first cassette may comprise a plurality of sleeves, and each of said sleeves may comprise phase-change material.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the sleeves may not be identical to one another.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the first cassette may comprise a container and a plurality of sleeves disposed within the container, the plurality of sleeves may comprise a pair of outer sleeves and at least one inner sleeve, and the at least one inner sleeve may be positioned between the pair of outer sleeves.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the at least one inner sleeve may comprise three inner sleeves.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the outer sleeves may be identical to one another, each may comprise a first container and phase-change material disposed within the first container, the inner sleeves may be identical to one another, and each may comprise a second container and phase-change material disposed within the second container.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the types and/or quantities of phase-change materials in the outer sleeves and in the inner sleeves may be selected so that the outer sleeves provide greater thermal protection than the inner sleeves.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the inner sleeves may comprise water or a water-based phase-change material, the outer sleeves may comprise water or a water-based phase-change material, the inner sleeves and the outer sleeves may comprise the same phase-change material, and the outer sleeves may comprise a greater quantity of the phase-change material than the inner sleeves.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, each of the inner sleeves and the outer sleeves may comprise at least one organic phase-change material, and the outer sleeves may comprise an organic phase-change material having a comparatively greater latent heat than the at least one organic phase-change material of the inner sleeves.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, each of the outer sleeves may comprise two gelled organic phase-change materials, one of the two gelled organic phase-change materials may be disposed at opposite ends of the outer sleeve and may have a comparatively greater latent heat, and the other gelled organic phase-change material may be disposed medially within the outer sleeve and may have a comparatively lesser latent heat.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the outer sleeves may be identical to one another, each of the outer sleeves may comprise a container and a plurality of temperature-control members disposed within the container, each temperature-control member may comprise a foam block impregnated with water or a water-based phase-change material, and the foam block may be sealed between a pair of polymer films.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the at least one inner sleeve may comprise three identical inner sleeves, each of the three identical inner sleeves may comprise a container and a temperature-control member disposed within the container, the temperature-control member may comprise a plurality of foam blocks each impregnated with water or a water-based phase-change material, the foam blocks may be disposed within a multi-compartmented receptacle, and the cumulative quantity of water or a water-based phase-change material in the outer sleeves may exceed that in the inner sleeves.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the outer sleeves may be identical to one another, each of the outer sleeves may comprise a container, an insulating member may be disposed in the container, a plurality of temperature-control members may be disposed within the container, the plurality of temperature-control members may comprise a first temperature control member and a second temperature-control member, the first temperature-control member may comprise a first phase-change material, the second temperature-control member may comprise a second phase-change material, and the first phase-change material and the second phase-change material may be different from one another.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a shipping system for use in transporting a pallet-sized payload, the shipping system comprising (a) a plurality of thermally insulating walls, the plurality of thermally insulating walls being arranged to define an interior volume suitable for receiving a pallet-sized payload, the plurality of thermally insulating walls comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, a left wall, and a right wall, wherein at least two of the top wall, the front wall, the rear wall, the left wall, and the right wall comprise at least two slots facing towards the interior volume, one of the slots being an inner slot that is more proximal to the interior volume and one of the slots being an outer slot that is more distal to the interior volume; (b) a plurality of inner cassettes, the plurality of inner cassettes being disposed in at least some of the inner slots, each of the inner cassettes comprising at least a first phase-change material; and (c) a plurality of outer cassettes, the plurality of outer cassettes being disposed in at least some of the outer slots, each of the outer cassettes comprising at least a second phase-change material, the second phase-change material being different from the first phase-change material.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, each of the top wall, the front wall, the rear wall, the left wall, and the right wall may comprise the inner slot and the outer slot.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the plurality of inner cassettes may comprise five inner cassettes and the plurality of outer cassettes may comprise five outer cassettes, the five inner cassettes may be disposed in the inner slots of the top wall, the front wall, the rear wall, the left wall and the right wall, and the five outer cassettes may be disposed in the outer slots of the top wall, the front wall, the rear wall, the left wall and the right wall.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, each of the inner cassettes may comprise a first receptacle holding two identical outer sleeves and three identical inner sleeves, each of the two identical outer sleeves may comprise a first container holding a first insulation panel, a first temperature-control member aligned with the first insulation panel, and a plurality of second temperature-control members positioned at opposite ends of the first insulation panel, the first temperature-control member may comprise a first gelled organic phase-change material having a phase-change temperature of approximately +3° C., the second temperature-control member may comprise a second gelled organic phase-change material having a phase-change temperature of approximately +5° C., each of the three identical inner sleeves may comprise a second container holding a second insulation panel and a third temperature-control member aligned with the second insulation panel, and the third temperature-control member may comprise a third gelled organic phase-change material having a phase-change temperature of approximately +3° C.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, each of the outer cassettes may comprise a second receptacle holding two identical outer sleeves and three identical inner sleeves, each of the two identical outer sleeves may comprise a third container holding a plurality of fourth temperature-control members, each of the fourth temperature-control members may comprise a foam brick impregnated with water or a water-based phase-change material and sealed within a pair of polymer films, each of the three identical inner sleeves may comprise a fourth container holding a fifth temperature-control member, the fifth temperature-control member may comprise a multi-compartmented container holding a plurality of foam bricks impregnated with water or a water-based phase-change material, and the inner sleeves may hold less phase-change material than the outer sleeves.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the inner cassettes may be preconditioned at about +5° C. and the outer cassettes may be preconditioned at about −20° C.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, each of the front wall, the rear wall, and the top wall may comprise the inner slot and the outer slot.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the plurality of inner cassettes may comprise three inner cassettes and the plurality of outer cassettes may comprise three outer cassettes, the three inner cassettes may be disposed in the inner slots of the top wall, the front wall, and the rear wall, and the three outer cassettes may be disposed in the outer slots of the top wall, the front wall, and the rear wall.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, each of the left wall and the right wall may comprise a single slot facing towards the interior volume.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the system may further comprise a first side cassette and a second side cassette, each of the first side cassette and the second side cassette may comprise phase-change material, the first side cassette may be disposed in the single slot of the left wall, and the second side cassette may be disposed in the single slot of the right wall.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the system may further comprise a pair of sleeves, each of the sleeves may comprise phase-change material, one of the sleeves may be disposed over the single slot of the left wall, and the other sleeve may be disposed over the single slot of the right wall.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, each of the top wall, the front wall, the rear wall, the left wall, and the right wall may comprise the inner slot and the outer slot, the plurality of inner cassettes may comprise five inner cassettes, the plurality of outer cassettes may comprise three outer cassettes, the five inner cassettes may be disposed in the inner slots of the top wall, the front wall, the rear wall, the left wall and the right wall, and the three outer cassettes may be disposed in the outer slots of the top wall, the left wall and the right wall.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, each of the five inner cassettes may comprise a first container holding two outer sleeves and three inner sleeves, each of the two outer sleeves may comprise a gelled organic phase-change material, each of the three inner sleeves may comprise water or a water-based phase-change material, each of the three outer cassettes may comprise a second container holding two outer sleeves and three inner sleeves, each of the two outer sleeves and the three inner sleeves may comprise water or a water-based phase-change material, and each of the two outer sleeves comprises more phase-change material than the three inner sleeves.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the gelled organic phase-change material may have a phase-change temperature of approximately +17° C.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the five inner cassettes may be preconditioned at about +22° C. and the three outer cassettes may be preconditioned at about +5° C.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a shipping system for use in transporting a pallet-sized payload, the shipping system comprising (a) a plurality of thermally insulating walls, the plurality of thermally insulating walls being arranged to define an interior volume suitable for receiving a pallet-sized payload, the plurality of thermally insulating walls comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, a left wall, and a right wall, wherein each of the front wall, the rear wall, the left wall, and the right wall comprise at least two slots facing towards the interior volume, one of the slots being an inner slot that is more proximal to the interior volume and one of the slots being an outer slot that is more distal to the interior volume; (b) a first inner sleeve, the first inner sleeve disposed in the inner slot of the front wall and comprising a phase-change material; (c) a second inner sleeve, the second inner sleeve disposed in the inner slot of the rear wall and comprising a phase-change material; (d) a third inner sleeve, the third inner sleeve disposed in the inner slot of the left wall and comprising a phase-change material; and (e) a fourth inner sleeve, the fourth inner sleeve disposed in the inner slot of the right wall and comprising a phase-change material.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the system may further comprise a tray positioned over the payload in the interior volume, and the tray may hold a phase-change material.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the phase-change material in the first, second, third and fourth sleeves and in the tray may be dry ice.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the system may further comprise eight additional inner sleeves, a first two of the eight additional sleeves may be disposed adjacent to the first inner sleeve in the inner slot of the front wall to form a first triplet of sleeves, a second two of the eight additional sleeves may be disposed adjacent to the second inner sleeve in the inner slot of the rear wall to form a second triplet of sleeves, a third two of the eight additional sleeves may be disposed adjacent to the third inner sleeve in the inner slot of the left wall to form a third triplet of sleeves, a fourth two of the eight additional sleeves may be disposed adjacent to the fourth inner sleeve in the inner slot of right wall to form a fourth triplet of sleeves, the outer sleeves of each triplet may contain dry ice, and the middle sleeve of each triplet may be empty.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the outer slot of each of the front wall, the rear wall, the left side wall, and the right side wall may be empty.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the system may further comprise a first insulation panel disposed in the outer slot of the front wall, a second insulation panel disposed in the outer slot of the rear wall, a third insulation panel disposed in the outer slot of the left wall, and a fourth insulation panel disposed in the outer slot of the right wall.
In a more detailed feature of the invention, the system may further comprise a first outer cassette disposed in the outer slot of the front wall, a second outer cassette disposed in the outer slot of the rear wall, a third outer cassette disposed in the outer slot of the left wall, and a fourth outer cassette disposed in the outer slot of the right wall, and each of the first, second, third and fourth outer cassettes may comprise phase-change material.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a kit for use in making the above-described thermally insulated shipping system.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide methods of making and using the above-described thermally insulated shipping system.
Additional objects, as well as aspects, features and advantages, of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof and in which is shown by way of illustration various embodiments for practicing the invention. The embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.
The accompanying drawings, which are hereby incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings wherein like reference numerals represent like parts:
The present invention is directed at a shipping system that may be used to maintain a temperature-sensitive payload within a desired temperature range for a particular period of time. The system, which may be used with a pallet-sized payload optionally positioned on a pallet, possesses certain features of modularity that permit the system to be modified, if desired, to suit particular thermal needs. More specifically, the system may comprise a plurality of thermally insulated walls. The plurality of walls may be used collectively to fashion a thermally insulated volume for receiving the payload. In addition, one or more of the walls may include a mounting mechanism facing towards the thermally insulated volume and defining, at least in part, an inner slot and an outer slot. The inner slot, which is located more proximal to the payload, may be used to receive a first thermal device. The outer slot, which is located more distal to the payload, may be used to receive a second thermal device. As can be appreciated, by selectively using the first thermal device and/or the second thermal device and by modifying the thermal characteristics of the first thermal device and/or the second thermal device, one may adjust the thermal characteristics of the shipping system as a whole.
Referring now to
System 11, which may be used to maintain a payload within a temperature range of +2° C. to +8° C. for an extended period of time, such as up to five days or longer, may comprise a skid 13, a bottom wall 15, a front wall 17, a rear wall 19, a left wall 21, a right wall 23, a top wall 25, a plurality of inner cassettes 27-1 through 27-5, and a plurality of outer cassettes 29-1 through 29-5.
Skid 13, which is also shown separately in
Without wishing to be limited to any particular dimensions, skid 13 may have a length l1 of approximately 70 inches, a width w1 of approximately 60 inches, and a height h1 of approximately 9.50 inches.
Bottom wall 15, which is also shown separately in
Bottom wall 15 may be appropriately dimensioned to be received on top of and across the width of base portion 31 of skid 13, with left side 53 of bottom wall 15 being positioned just inside or in contact with an inside surface of peripheral wall 35 and with right side 55 of bottom wall 15 being positioned just inside or in contact with an inside surface of peripheral wall 35. In this manner, with bottom wall 15 mounted on skid 13, left wall 21 may be positioned on top of first stepped portion 57 of bottom wall 15, right wall 23 may be positioned on top of second stepped portion 59 of bottom wall 15, front wall 17 may be positioned in the space between front 49 of bottom wall 15 and peripheral wall 35 of skid 13, and rear wall 19 may be positioned in the space between rear 51 of bottom wall 15 and peripheral wall 35 of skid 13.
Without wishing to be limited to any particular dimensions, bottom wall 15 may have a length l2 of approximately 58 inches, a width w2 of approximately 58 inches, a maximum height h2 of approximately 4 inches, and a minimum height h3 of approximately 2 inches.
Front wall 17, which is also shown separately in
Without wishing to be limited to any particular dimensions, the combination of insulating panel 61 and cover 63 may have a length l3 of approximately 58 inches, a width w3 of approximately 57.75 inches, and a thickness t1 of approximately 4 inches.
Front wall 17 may further comprise a pair of brackets 81 and 83. Each of brackets 81 and 83 may be a unitary (i.e., one-piece) structure preferably made of a molded polymer or another similarly suitable material. Bracket 81, which may be mounted generally horizontally on rear 71 a short distance from top 67 using mechanical fasteners 84 (e.g., studs) and/or other suitable fastening means, may be shaped to define a pair of parallel tracks, namely, an outer track 85 that is proximal to rear 71 and an inner track 87 that is distal to rear 71. Each of outer track 85 and inner track 87 may have a generally inverted U-shape, with the respective ends and bottom of each of outer tracks 85 and 87 being open. Bracket 81 may additionally be shaped to include a stop 88, which may be used to limit forward sliding movement of cassettes 27-5 and 29-5. Bracket 83, which may be mounted generally horizontally on rear 71 a short distance from bottom 65 using mechanical fasteners 86 (e.g., studs) and/or other suitable fastening means, may be shaped to define a pair of parallel tracks, namely, an outer track 91 that is proximal to rear 71 and an inner track 93 that is distal to rear 71. Each of outer track 91 and inner track 93 may be generally U-shaped, with the respective ends and top of each of outer tracks 91 and 93 being open. Brackets 81 and 83 may be appropriately positioned relative to one another to jointly define an inner slot and an outer slot. In this manner, inner cassette 27-1 and outer cassette 29-1 may be removably mounted within the inner slot and the outer slot, respectively, for example, by sliding inner cassette 27-1 into inner track 87 of bracket 81 and into inner track 93 of bracket 83 and by sliding outer cassette 29-1 into outer track 85 of bracket 81 and into outer track 91 of bracket 83. For example, without wishing to be limited to any particular dimensions, brackets 81 and 83 may be spaced apart so as to receive cassettes whose respective top and bottom edges are separated by a distance of approximately 40 inches.
Although not included in the present embodiment, it is to be understood that a mounting plate may be inserted into panel 61 or between panel 61 and cover 63 to facilitate the mounting of brackets 81 and 83 to cover 63.
Rear wall 19, which is also shown separately in
Although not included in the present embodiment, a mounting plate may be inserted into panel 101 or between panel 101 and cover 103 to facilitate the mounting of brackets 105 and 107 to cover 103.
Left wall 21, which is also shown separately in
Without wishing to be limited to any particular dimensions, the combination of insulating panel 111 and cover 113 may have a length l4 of approximately 58 inches, a width w4 of approximately 53.25 inches, and a thickness t2 of approximately 4 inches.
Left wall 21 may further comprise a pair of brackets 122 and 124. Bracket 122 may be identical to bracket 81, except that bracket 122 need not include structure corresponding to stop 88, and bracket 124 may be identical to bracket 83. Bracket 122 may be mounted generally horizontally on right side 125 a short distance from top 117 using mechanical fasteners 126 (e.g., studs) and/or other suitable fastening means. Bracket 124 may be mounted generally horizontally on right side 125 a short distance from bottom 115 using mechanical fasteners 128 (e.g., studs) and/or other suitable fastening means. Brackets 122 and 124 may be appropriately positioned relative to one another to jointly define an inner slot and an outer slot. In this manner, inner cassette 27-3 and outer cassette 29-3 may be removably mounted within the inner slot and the outer slot, respectively, for example, by sliding inner cassette 27-3 into an inner track 129 of bracket 122 and into an inner track 131 of bracket 124 and by sliding outer cassette 29-3 into an outer track 133 of bracket 122 and into an outer track 135 of bracket 124. For example, without wishing to be limited to any particular dimensions, brackets 122 and 124 may be spaced apart so as to receive cassettes whose respective top and bottom edges are separated by a distance of approximately 40 inches. Preferably, brackets 122 and 124 are appropriately positioned on right side 125 so that, when system 11 is assembled, bracket 122 may be substantially aligned with brackets 81 and 105 and bracket 124 may be substantially aligned with brackets 83 and 107.
Although not included in the present embodiment, a mounting plate may be inserted into panel 111 or between panel 111 and cover 113 to facilitate the mounting of brackets 122 and 124 to cover 113.
Right wall 23, which is also shown separately in
Although not included in the present embodiment, a mounting plate may be inserted into panel 141 or between panel 141 and cover 143 to facilitate the mounting of brackets 145 and 147 to cover 143.
Top wall 25, which is also shown separately in
Top wall 25 may differ from bottom wall 15 in that top wall 25 may further comprise a pair of brackets 171 and 173. Bracket 171 may be identical to bracket 81, except that bracket 171 need not include structure corresponding to stop 88, and bracket 173 may be identical to bracket 83. Bracket 171 may be mounted on bottom 155 a short distance from first stepped portion 167 using mechanical fasteners 174 (e.g., studs) and/or other suitable fastening means. Bracket 173 may be mounted on bottom 155 a short distance from second stepped bottom 169 using mechanical fasteners 176 (e.g., studs) and/or other suitable fastening means. Brackets 171 and 173 may be appropriately positioned relative to one another to jointly define an inner slot and an outer slot. In this manner, inner cassette 27-5 and outer cassette 29-5 may be removably mounted within the inner slot and the outer slot, respectively, for example, by sliding inner cassette 27-5 into an inner track 179 of bracket 171 and into an inner track 181 of bracket 173 and by sliding outer cassette 29-5 into an outer track 183 of bracket 171 and into an outer track 185 of bracket 173. For example, without wishing to be limited to any particular dimensions, brackets 171 and 173 may be spaced apart so as to receive cassettes whose opposite edges are separated by a distance of approximately 40 inches.
Although not included in the present embodiment, a mounting plate may be inserted into panel 151 or between panel 151 and cover 153 to facilitate the mounting of brackets 171 and 173 to cover 153.
Inner cassettes 27-1 through 27-5 may be identical to one another and, in the present embodiment, are, in fact, identical to one another. Referring now to
Without wishing to be limited to any particular dimensions, inner cassette 27-1 may have a length l5 of approximately 48 inches, a width w5 of approximately 40 inches, and a thickness t3 of approximately 1.75 inches.
Container 201, which is also shown separately in
Divider 203, which is also shown separately in
Sleeves 205-1 and 205-5 may be identical to one another and, in the present embodiment, are, in fact, identical to one another. Sleeve 205-1, which is also shown separately in
Container 261, which may comprise a box of corrugated cardboard or another similarly suitable material, may be shaped to include a generally rectangular prismatic cavity 281 that may be accessible through a pair of front closure flaps 283-1 and 283-2 extending between a first closed end 284 of container 261 and a second closed end 286 of container 261. Flaps 283-1 and 283-2 may have opposing edges 287-1 and 287-2, respectively, with matching stepped shapes so as to jointly define a plurality of windows 288, the purpose of which will be discussed below.
Insulating member 263, which may be a block of expanded polystyrene or another similarly suitable material, may be disposed within cavity 281 of container 261. Insulating member 263 may be appropriately dimensioned to have a length that is substantially shorter than the length of cavity 281. In addition, insulating member 263 may be positioned against a back wall 289 of container 261 and may be centered between first end 284 of container 261 and second end 286 of container 261. (Insulating member 263 may be secured in the above-mentioned position by an adhesive or other suitable means.) In this manner, a first end 291 of insulating member 263 and first end 284 of container 261 may jointly define a space that may be used to receive a stacked arrangement of second temperature-control member 267 and third temperature-control member 269, and a second end 293 of insulating member 263 and second end 286 of container 261 may jointly define a space that may be used to receive a stacked arrangement of fourth temperature-control member 271 and fifth temperature-control member 273.
First temperature-control member 265 may comprise a quantity of a phase-change material positioned within a suitable container. For example, the phase-change material may comprise any phase-change material including any water-based phase-change material or organic phase-change material. In a preferred embodiment, the phase-change material may be a gelled organic phase-change material of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2014/0290285 A1, inventors Formato et al., published Oct. 2, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. More specifically, such a phase-change material may be formed by mixing one or more n-alkanes, such as n-tetradecane (C14), n-pentadecane (C15), n-hexadecane (C16), and n-octadecane (C18), with a gelling agent in the form of a styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene triblock copolymer or a styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene triblock copolymer. Examples of the aforementioned gelling agent may include one or more of Kraton™ G1651 copolymer (a high molecular weight SEBS tri-block copolymer with a styrene:rubber ratio of 30:70% by weight), Kraton™ G1654 copolymer (a high molecular weight SEBS tri-block copolymer with a styrene:rubber ratio of 33:67% by weight), or Kraton™ G1660 copolymer (an SEBS tri-block copolymer with a styrene:rubber ratio of 31:69% by weight), or an SEPS copolymer, such as, but not limited to, SEPTON™ S2005 copolymer (a high molecular weight SEPS tri-block copolymer with a styrene:rubber ratio of 20:80% by weight). The mixing of the above-described one or more n-alkanes and the above-described gelling agent may take place at a first temperature at which the at least one n-alkane is in a liquid state and which is below the flashpoint of the at least one n-alkane and at which the mixture is not a viscoelastic liquid, whereby a non-homogeneous mixture is produced; then, heating the non-homogenous mixture to a second temperature that is below the flashpoint of the at least one n-alkane and at which a viscoelastic liquid is formed; and, then, cooling the viscoelastic liquid to room temperature.
Examples of gelled organic phase-change materials that may be suitable for use as phase-change material may include the following (the phase-change temperatures reported below being approximate and, in some cases, spanning a range of 1.5° C. to 2.0° C.):
The gelled organic phase-change materials of the above-identified Examples were prepared by placing the above-described mixtures into a pre-heated oven operating at 50° C. for a period of 2.5 hours and then removing the mixtures from the oven and allowing the mixtures to cool to room temperature. Some of the properties of temperature-control members including the resulting mixtures are presented below.
Gelled organic phase-change materials of the type described above possess many desirable attributes. For example, such gelled materials are capable of conforming to virtually any shaped pouch or other receptacle therefor while, at the same time, being less susceptible to leaking than liquid phase-change materials. In addition, such gelled materials possess good shock absorption and, therefore, provide physical protection to a payload covered thereby. Additionally, such gelled materials are capable of surviving many freeze/thaw cycles while maintaining good performance as a phase-change material. Moreover, such gelled materials possess excellent compression strength—even when placed under a payload (as in certain embodiments discussed below). Furthermore, the above-described gelled phase-change materials tend to cover more surface area of a product load than do an equivalent amount of a liquid phase-change material, especially when the phase-change material is oriented vertically. This is because liquid phase-change materials tend to flow to the bottom of the receptacle containing the liquid phase-change material. Consequently, orienting the receptacle vertically tends to cause a significant portion of the liquid phase-change material to pool at the bottom of the receptacle. (This problem may persist, albeit to a lesser extent, even if the receptacle is oriented horizontally.) By contrast, the subject gelled materials tend not to flow much, if at all, to the bottom of a receptacle therefor.
The container used to hold the phase-change material may be, for example, a flexible or rigid pouch or a series of interconnected flexible or rigid pouches whose contents are sealed from one another and the environment. In the present embodiment, the container is in the form of six interconnected flexible pouches whose contents are sealed from one another. The container may be formed by thermoforming a polymer film to define a plurality of troughs and then sealing the thermoformed film to a flat polymer film around their respective peripheries and in the spaces between the troughs of the thermoformed film. The sealing together of the two polymer films is preferably performed after phase-change material has been loaded into the troughs. As can be appreciated, the thermoforming, loading, and sealing steps may be performed as part of a continuous manufacturing process or may be performed batch-wise.
Preferably, each pouch of the six interconnected pouches of first temperature-control member 265 contains approximately the same quantity of the same type of phase-change material. In the present embodiment, the phase-change material preferably has a phase-change temperature of approximately +3° C. and may have, for example, the composition of Example 2 above.
Second temperature-control member 267, third temperature-control member 269, fourth temperature-control member 271, and fifth temperature-control member 273 may be identical to one another and may differ from first temperature-control member 265 only in that each of second temperature-control member 267, third temperature-control member 269, fourth temperature-control member 271, and fifth temperature-control member 273 may comprise two interconnected, yet sealed, pouches, as opposed to the six interconnected, yet sealed, pouches of first temperature-control member 265, and in that the type of phase-change material in temperature-control members 267, 269, 271 and 273 may differ from that of temperature-control member 265. More specifically, whereas temperature-control member 265 may comprise a first gelled organic phase-change material having a comparatively lesser latent heat, temperature-control members 267, 269, 271 and 273 may comprise a second gelled organic phase-change material having a comparatively greater latent heat. In the present embodiment, the phase-change material of temperature-control members 267, 269, 271 and 273 may have a phase-change temperature of approximately +5° C. and may have, for example, the composition of Example 3 above.
Preferably, the combined thickness of insulating member 263 and first temperature-control member 265 is approximately equal to the combined thickness of second temperature-control member 267 and third temperature-control member 269 and is approximately equal to the combined thickness of fourth temperature-control member 271 and fifth temperature-control member 273. In this manner, sleeve 205-1 may position more phase-change material at the respective ends of sleeve 205-1 than at the intermediate portion of sleeve 205-1. This may be desirable as the corners of the payload volume tend to be the locations where undesired thermal incursions are most likely; consequently, positioning more phase-change material at these locations may counter this effect.
To keep first temperature-control member 265, second temperature-control member 267 and fourth temperature-control member 271 from moving when sleeve 205-1 is positioned vertically, one may secure the foregoing temperature-control members to container 201 by applying one or more strips of adhesive tape (not shown) across windows 288.
Without wishing to be limited to any particular dimensions, sleeve 205-1 may have a length l6 of approximately 39.375 inches, a width w6 of approximately 8 inches, and a thickness t4 of approximately 1.375 inches.
Sleeves 205-2 through 205-4 may be identical to one another and, in the present embodiment, are, in fact, identical to one another. Sleeve 205-2, which is also shown separately in
Sleeves 205-2 through 205-4 may have overall dimensions substantially the same as sleeves 205-1 and 205-5.
As can readily be appreciated, because of the construction of sleeves 205-1 through 205-2, inner cassette 27-1 provides greater thermal protection at its four corners than elsewhere. This is by design as the greatest thermal weakness for the six walls is typically at their corners.
It is to be understood that the number of sleeves in inner cassette 27-1 is merely illustrative. As such, one could increase or decrease the number of sleeves in inner cassette 27-1 without departing from the teachings of the present invention. In addition, it should be understood that, although each of sleeves 205-1 and 205-5 is described above as having a greater quantity of phase-change material than is present in each of sleeves 205-2, 205-3 and 205-4, all of sleeves 205-1, 205-2, 205-3, 205-4 and 205-5 may be identical. Moreover, although each of sleeves 205-1 through 205-5 is described above as having a certain type of phase-change material or as having certain types of phase-change material, the type(s) of phase-change material may be changed.
Assemblies 207-1 and 207-2 may be identical to one another and, in the present embodiment, are, in fact, identical to one another. Assembly 207-1, which is shown separately in
To prepare inner cassette 27-1 for use, sleeves 205-1 through 205-5 may be loaded into container 201, container 201 may be closed using assemblies 207-1 and 207-2, and inner cassette 27-1 may be pre-conditioned, as a unit, at a desired temperature, for example, at about 5° C. (Preferably, the pre-conditioning temperature and the phase-change temperature of the phase-change material in inner cassette 27-1 are within the temperature range that one wishes to maintain the payload.) Depending on the application to which system 11 is to be put and depending on the composition of the sleeves to be used as a part of inner cassette 27-1, one may pre-condition different sleeves of inner cassette 27-1 at different temperatures and then load the differently pre-conditioned sleeves into container 201. (Alternatively, if desired, inner cassette 27-1 may be sealed shut to prevent sleeves 205-1 through 205-5 from being removed therefrom.) Inner cassettes 27-2 through 27-5 may be prepared similarly to inner cassette 27-1.
Outer cassettes 29-1 through 29-5 may be identical to one another and, in the present embodiment, are, in fact, identical to one another. Referring now to
Sleeves 371-1 and 371-5 may be identical to one another and, in the present embodiment, are, in fact, identical to one another. Sleeve 371-1, which is also shown separately in
Container 373, which may comprise a box of corrugated cardboard or another similarly suitable material, may be shaped to include a generally rectangular prismatic cavity 381 that may be accessible through a pair of front closure flaps 383-1 and 383-2 extending between a first closed end 384 of container 373 and a second closed end 386 of container 373.
Insulating member 375, which may be a block of expanded polystyrene or another similarly suitable material, may be disposed within cavity 381 of container 373. More specifically, insulating member 375 may be positioned at appropriately the midpoint of cavity 381 and may be oriented transversely to the length of cavity 381, with temperature-control members 377-1 and 377-2 being positioned in cavity 381 on one side of insulating member 375 and with members 377-3 and 377-4 being positioned in cavity 381 on the opposite side of insulating member 375.
Temperature-control members 377-1 through 377-4 may be identical to one another and, in the present embodiment, are, in fact, identical to one another. Each of temperature-control members 377-1 through 377-4 may comprise a foam block impregnated with a quantity of water or a water-based phase-change material, the impregnated block being positioned within a suitable container, such as a pair of sealed polymer films. Members 377-1 through 377-4 may have a phase-change temperature of approximately 0° C. Also, it should be understood that, although members 377-1 through 377-4 are shown herein as four discrete members, one may join together members 377-1 and 377-2 and may join together members 377-3 and 377-4.
Sleeves 371-2 through 371-4 may be identical to one another and, in the present embodiment, are, in fact, identical to one another. Sleeve 371-2, which is also shown separately in
Each of the compartments of temperature-control member 381 may be thinner than each of temperature-control members 377-1 through 377-4. As such, there is more water or water-based phase-change material in each of sleeves 371-1 and 371-5 (for example, approximately 7 pounds of water per sleeve) than in each of sleeves 371-2 through 371-4 (for example, approximately 4 pounds of water per sleeve).
As can readily be appreciated, because of the construction of sleeves 371-1 through 371-2, outer cassette 29-1 provides greater thermal protection at its four corners than elsewhere. This is by design as the greatest thermal weakness for the six walls is typically at their corners.
It is to be understood that the number of sleeves in outer cassette 29-1 is merely illustrative. As such, one could increase or decrease the number of sleeves in outer cassette 29-1 without departing from the teachings of the present invention. In addition, it should be understood that, although each of sleeves 371-1 and 371-5 is described above as having a greater quantity of water or a water-based phase-change material than is present in each of sleeves 371-2, 371-3 and 371-4, all of sleeves 371-1 through 371-5 may be identical. Moreover, it should be understood that, although all of sleeves 371-1 through 371-5 are described above as having the same type of phase-change material, i.e., water, one could put different types of phase-change materials in different sleeves or in different portions of the same sleeve and could use a phase-change material having a different phase-change temperature.
To prepare outer cassette 29-1 for use, sleeves 371-1 through 371-5 may be loaded into container 351, container 351 may be closed using assemblies 355-1 and 355-2, and outer cassette 29-1 may be pre-conditioned, as a unit, at a desired temperature, for example, at about −20° C. (Preferably, the pre-conditioning temperature for outer cassette 29-1 is below the temperature range that one wishes to maintain the payload.) However, depending on the application to which system 11 is to be put and depending on the composition of the sleeves to be used as a part of outer cassette 29-1, one may pre-condition different sleeves of outer cassette 29-1 at different temperatures and then load the differently pre-conditioned sleeves into container 351. (Alternatively, outer cassette 29-1 may be sealed shut to prevent sleeves 371-1 through 371-5 from being removed therefrom.) Outer cassettes 29-2 through 29-5 may be prepared in a similar fashion to outer cassette 29-1.
Referring now to
Although system 11 is particularly well-suited for use with a pallet-sized payload L, such as a 48″×40″×45″ payload, system 11 may nevertheless be used with a payload that is less than a full pallet-sized payload L.
One may modify system 11 by eliminating inner cassettes 27-1 through 27-5 and/or by eliminating outer cassettes 29-1 through 29-5 or by eliminating one or more of inner cassettes 27-1 through 27-5 and/or by eliminating one or more outer cassettes 29-1 through 29-5 so that less than the full complement of inner cassettes 27 and outer cassettes 29 is used. Alternatively, one may also modify system 11 by replacing one or more of inner cassettes 27 with additional outer cassettes 29 or vice versa. Furthermore, one may also modify system 11 by positioning additional phase-change material, either in a cassette or otherwise, under the payload L, for example, between pallet P and bottom wall 15. As noted above, the above-described gelled organic phase-change material possess excellent compression strength and other attributes that make it particularly well-suited for being used in such a manner.
One may also modify system 11 by providing one or more transverse openings in the top surfaces of the tracks of the top brackets and/or in the bottom surfaces of the tracks of the bottom brackets to promote the convection of air around the payload L. In addition, one may provide handles, whether integrally-formed or otherwise, on one or more of walls 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 and 25 to facilitate handling, particularly during assembly.
It is presently envisioned that system 11 may be delivered to a customer as an unassembled kit comprising skid 13, bottom wall 15, front wall 17, rear wall 19, left wall 21, right wall 23, top wall 25, inner cassettes 27-1 through 27-5, and outer cassettes 29-1 through 29-5, that the customer will pre-condition the inner cassettes 27 and outer cassettes 29, and that the customer will then assemble system 11 and load its product into system 11. However, it is not beyond the realm of the present invention for inner cassettes 27 and outer cassettes 29 to be delivered to a customer in a disassembled state, with a variety of different types of sleeves provided to the customer that may be loaded into the inner and outer cassettes in different permutations. Moreover, it is not beyond the realm of the present invention for inner cassettes 27 and outer cassettes 29, whether delivered to a customer in an assembled state or disassembled state, to be used in combinations other than those disclosed above.
Referring now to
System 511 may be similar in most respects to system 11, the principal difference between the two systems being that system 511 may further comprise a pair of corner brackets 513-1 and 513-2 pivotally mounted on front wall 17 and/or may further comprise a corresponding pair of corner brackets (of which only corner bracket 515-1 is shown) pivotally mounted on rear wall 19. Corner brackets 513-1 and 513-2 (and the corresponding corner brackets on rear wall 19) may be appropriately constructed so that they may support the weight of its respective wall when the wall is pivoted outwardly, thereby enabling cassettes 27 and 29 to be loaded into the respective wall without requiring human intervention.
Alternatively, in another embodiment (not shown), one may maintain front wall 17 and/or rear wall 19 in a pivoted state, for example, to permit the loading of cassettes 27 and 29 thereon, by fixedly attaching one end of a strap to the upper bracket of front wall 17 (or to rear wall 19) and by attaching a hook or similar device to the free end of the strap. Such a hook may then be inserted into an opening provided in the upper bracket of the left wall 21 or right wall 23.
Referring now to
System 611, which may be used to maintain a 48″×42″×45″ payload within a temperature range of +2° C. to +8° C. for an extended period of time, may comprise a skid 613, a bottom wall 615, a front wall 617, a rear wall 619, a left wall 621, a right wall 623, a top wall 625, a plurality of inner cassettes 627-1 through 627-3, a plurality of outer cassettes 629-1 through 629-3, a pair of side cassettes 630-1 and 630-2, and a pair of sleeves 631-1 and 631-2.
Skid 613, bottom wall 615, front wall 617, rear wall 619, and top wall 625 may be identical to skid 13, bottom wall 15, front wall 17, rear wall 19, and top wall 25, respectively, of system 11. Left wall 621 and right wall 623 may be similar to left wall 21 and right wall 23, respectively, of system 11, except that each of left wall 621 and right wall 623 may comprise an upper bracket 641 and a lower bracket 643, wherein each of upper bracket 641 and lower bracket 643 may be shaped to define a single channel, as opposed to inner and outer channels. The aforementioned single channel is preferably located distal to the payload. In other words, brackets 641 and 643 effectively eliminate the inner cassette slot (used to receive an inner cassette) while retaining the outer cassette slot (used to receive an outer cassette).
Inner cassettes 627-1 through 627-3, which may be removably mounted in the inner (i.e., more proximal to payload) slot of front wall 617, rear wall 619, and top wall 625, respectively, may be identical to one another and may be identical to inner cassettes 27-1 through 27-5 of system 11.
Outer cassettes 629-1 through 629-3, which may be removably mounted in the outer slots (i.e., cassette-receiving spaces more distal to payload) of front wall 617, rear wall 619, and top wall 625, respectively, may be identical to one another and may be identical to outer cassettes 29-1 through 29-5 of system 11.
Side cassettes 630-1 and 630-2, which may be removably mounted in the slots of left wall 621 and right wall 623, respectively, may be identical to one another and may be identical to outer cassettes 629-1 through 629-3 (although, as will be discussed further below, side cassettes 630-1 and 630-2 are typically preconditioned at a different temperature than are outer cassettes 629-1 through 629-3).
Sleeves 631-1 and 631-2, which may be seated on top of upper brackets 641 of left wall 621 and right wall 623, respectively, may be identical to one another and may be similar to sleeve 205-2 of system 11, except that sleeves 631-1 and 631-2 may comprise a phase-change material having a phase-change temperature of approximately +5° C., instead of a phase-change material having a phase-change temperature of approximately +3° C. The phase-change material having a phase-change temperature of approximately +5° C. may be a gelled organic phase-change material of the type described above.
System 611 may be assembled and used in a fashion similar to that described above for system 11, except that inner cassettes 627-1 through 627-3 may be preconditioned at about +5° C., outer cassettes 629-1 through 629-3 may be preconditioned at about −20° C., side cassettes 630-1 and 630-2 may be preconditioned at about +5° C., and sleeves 631-1 and 631-2 may be preconditioned at about −20° C.
It is to be understood that system 611 may be modified by replacing left wall 621 and right wall 623 with left wall 21 and right wall 23, respectively, and by mounting side cassettes 630-1 and 630-2 in the outer slots (i.e., slots more distal to payload) of left wall 21 and right wall 23. However, modifying system 611 in the manner described above may reduce the size of a payload that may be accommodated by the system. It is also to be understood that, if desired, one may place additional phase-change material on bottom wall 615 under the pallet.
Referring now to
System 711, which may be used to maintain a 48″×42″×46″ payload within a temperature range of +2° C. to +8° C. for an extended period of time, may be similar in many respects to system 611. One difference between system 711 and system 611 may be that, whereas system 611 may comprise side cassettes 630-1 and 630-2, system 711 may comprise side cassettes 713-1 and 713-2, which may be identical to one another. Side cassette 713-1 is shown separately in
System 711 may be assembled and used in a fashion similar to that described above for system 611, except that side cassettes 713-1 and 713-2 may be preconditioned at about −20° C.
Referring now to
System 811, which may be used to maintain a 48″×40″×45″ payload within a temperature range of +15° C. to +25° C. for an extended period of time, may comprise a skid 813, a bottom wall 815, a front wall 817, a rear wall 819, a left wall 821, a right wall 823, a top wall 825, a plurality of inner cassettes 827-1 through 827-5, and a plurality of outer cassettes 829-1 through 829-3.
Skid 813, bottom wall 815, front wall 817, rear wall 819, left wall 821, right wall 823, and top wall 825 may be identical to skid 13, bottom wall 15, front wall 17, rear wall 19, left wall 21, right wall 23, and top wall 25, respectively, of system 11.
Inner cassettes 827-1 through 827-5, which may be removably mounted in the inner slots (i.e., slots more proximal to payload) of front wall 817, rear wall 819, left wall 821, right wall 823 and top wall 825, respectively, may be identical to one another. Referring now to
Referring back now to
System 811 may be assembled and used in a fashion similar to that described above for system 11, except that inner cassettes 827-1 through 827-5 may be preconditioned at about +22° C. and outer cassettes 829-1 through 829-3 may be preconditioned at about +5° C. It is to be understood that, if desired, one may place additional phase-change material on bottom wall 815 under the pallet.
Referring now to
System 911, which may be used to maintain a 48″×40″×45″ payload at a temperature below −20° C. for an extended period of time, may comprise a skid 913, a bottom wall 915, a front wall 917, a rear wall 919, a left wall 921, a right wall 923, a top wall 925, a plurality of inner sleeves 927-1 through 927-12, a plurality of outer cassettes 929-1 through 929-4, and a tray 931.
Skid 913, bottom wall 915, front wall 917, rear wall 919, left wall 921, right wall 923, and top wall 925 may be identical to skid 13, bottom wall 15, front wall 17, rear wall 19, left wall 21, right wall 23, and top wall 25, respectively, of system 11. (Top wall 925 may include alternative brackets to brackets 171 and 173 to facilitate the holding of tray 931. For example, such alternative brackets may jointly define a single slot.)
Inner sleeves 927-1 through 927-3 may be removably mounted in the inner slot (i.e., the slot more proximal to payload) of front wall 917, inner sleeves 927-4 through 927-6 may be removably mounted in the inner slot of rear wall 919, inner sleeves 927-7 through 927-9 may be removably mounted in the inner slot of left wall 923, and inner sleeves 927-10 through 927-12 may be removably mounted in the inner slot of right wall 925. Inner sleeves 927-1, 927-3, 927-4, 927-6, 927-7, 927-9, 927-10 and 927-12 may be discrete members that may be identical to one another. Referring now to
Outer cassettes 929-1 through 929-4, which may be removably mounted in the outer slots (i.e., slots more distal to payload) of front wall 917, rear wall 919, left wall 921, and right wall 923, respectively, may be identical to one another and may be identical to outer cassettes 29-1 through 29-5 of system 11.
Tray 931, which may be removably disposed in a slot of top wall 925, may be a unitary structure shaped to define three identical contiguous sections 933-1 through 933-3. Each of sections 933-1 through 933-3 may have an open top and may be loaded with a quantity of pelletized dry ice. For example, each of sections 933-1 through 933-3 may contain approximately 91 lbs of pelletized dry ice.
It is to be understood that, if desired, one may place additional phase-change material on bottom wall 915 under a pallet.
System 911 may be assembled and used in a fashion generally similar to that described above for system 11, except that dry ice is preferably loaded into inner sleeves 927-1, 927-3, 927-4, 927-6, 927-7, 927-9, 927-10 and 927-12 and tray 931 soon before use. Outer cassettes 929-1 through 929-4 may be preconditioned at about −20° C. Consequently, it may be noted that the phase-change material in the outer slots (i.e., water) may be at a higher temperature than the phase-change material in the inner slots (i.e., dry ice).
Referring now to
System 1011 may be similar in most respects to system 911, the principal difference between the two systems being that, whereas system 911 may comprise outer cassettes 929-1 through 929-4, system 1011 may instead comprise insulation panels 1013-1 through 1013-4 removably mounted in the outer slots of front wall 915, rear wall 917, left wall 921 and right wall 923, respectively. Insulation panels 1013-1 through 1013-4 may be identical to one another and may comprise a cut sheet of expanded polystyrene having dimensions of 48″×40″×1.75″.
System 1011 may be assembled and used in a fashion generally similar to that described above for system 911.
Referring now to
System 1111 may be similar in most respects to system 911, the principal difference between the two systems being that, whereas system 911 may comprise outer cassettes 929-1 through 929-4, system 1111 may omit outer cassettes 929-1 through 929-4 and may leave empty the outer slots of front wall 915, rear wall 917, left wall 921 and right wall 923.
System 1111 may be assembled and used in a fashion generally similar to that described above for system 911.
The embodiments of the present invention described above are intended to be merely exemplary and those skilled in the art shall be able to make numerous variations and modifications to it without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention.
The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/237,766, filed Oct. 6, 2015, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/399,912 filed Sep. 26, 2016, the disclosures of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62237766 | Oct 2015 | US | |
| 62399912 | Sep 2016 | US |
