U.S. patent application number 11/412222 was filed with the patent office on 2007-11-15 for reusable, sealable container which has a multiple wall construction encasing a cooling/warming material.
Invention is credited to Barry Elliot Cohen, Daniel Pinke Halpert.
Application Number | 20070261431 11/412222 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38683839 |
Filed Date | 2007-11-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070261431 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cohen; Barry Elliot ; et
al. |
November 15, 2007 |
Reusable, sealable container which has a multiple wall construction
encasing a cooling/warming material
Abstract
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of prior
thermal storage devices by combining the advantages of a sealed
double wall container with a phase change thermal energy storage
synthetic chemical which creates a superior portable and reusable
cold/hot thermal storage container. The invention provides for a
double walled container with a double walled lid. The double walled
container, and lid, having thinner internal walls than the exterior
walls and the hollow section between the two walls is filled with a
phase change thermal energy storage synthetic chemical, and sealed.
The double walled container is then pre-cooled at standard
refrigerator freezer temperatures and/or heated in a hot water bath
or micro-wave oven. The container can be used to store food or
other items that need to be maintained cold or hot for longer
periods than previously available by use of the standard water and
salt based cold or hot storage chemicals.
Inventors: |
Cohen; Barry Elliot;
(Parkland, FL) ; Halpert; Daniel Pinke; (Boca
Raton, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Barry Cohen
6326 NW 80 Terrace
Parkland
FL
33067
US
|
Family ID: |
38683839 |
Appl. No.: |
11/412222 |
Filed: |
April 27, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/457.2 ;
62/371 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 2303/0831 20130101;
F25D 2331/804 20130101; Y02W 30/807 20150501; F25D 3/08 20130101;
Y02W 30/80 20150501; B65D 25/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
062/457.2 ;
062/371 |
International
Class: |
F25D 3/08 20060101
F25D003/08 |
Claims
1. A reusable container to be used as an instant cold or hot
receptacle for thermal transfer comprising: a. container and lid
having a double wall, where the outer container wall is thicker
than the inner wall. b. the hollow space between the outer and
inner walls is filled with a phase change thermal energy synthetic
chemical. c. container and lid having a three layered wall, where
the outer wall is thicker than the middle container wall, and the
middle wall is thicker than the inner most wall. d. the hollow
space between the outer and middle walls is filled with air e. the
hollow space between the middle and inner walls is filled with a
phase change thermal energy synthetic chemical.
2. The container recited in claim 1 wherein the phase change
thermal energy synthetic chemical is an ethylene glycol or
propylene glycol, and any other phase change thermal energy
synthetic chemical available in the market.
3. The container recited in claim 1 may be comprised of multiple
isolated chambers.
4. The container recited in claim 1 may be comprised of multiple
isolated layers.
5. The container recited in claim 1 provides a superior performing
cold or hot thermal storage system.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a double wall container
with a lid which houses a synthetic phase change heat transfer
fluid between the container outer and inner walls, including the
lid, capable of maintaining a cold or hot temperature for a longer
period than previously available.
[0002] Phase change thermal energy storage synthetic fluid
chemicals have been available for some time. An example of a phase
change thermal energy chemical is discussed in detail in U.S. Pat.
No. 4,711,813. The phase change thermal chemical described in
detail in this patent is a crosslinked polyethylene with a straight
chain alkyl hydrocarbon therein. Many such phase change thermal
storage chemicals have been developed primarily for the medical
compress industry.
[0003] Portable cold storage systems have been around for a very
long time. The primary portable cold storage system in use today
comprises of a mixture of water and salt sealed in a plastic block
to create a cold pack container. The container is initially frozen
and then it used as a thermal absorption pack in close proximity to
the item/s that need to be maintained cold. These blocks are short
lived and take up a large volume in the insulated container. Other
cold storage systems have been developed using both the standard
water based soluble chemicals and the phase change thermal energy
storage synthetic chemicals. These are comprised of flat plastic
packs designed to remain pliable, even after cold exposure, and are
wrapped in a cloth and applied directly as a cold compress on a
medical injury. One such compress is described in detail in U.S.
Pat. No. 4,462,224.
[0004] The present invention is an innovative use of two existing
technologies to create a superior product. A double walled
container having the hollow section filled with a phase change
thermal energy storage synthetic chemical. The container is sealed
and used as a portable cold or hot storage container which
maintains the item/s in the container cold or hot for prolonged
period. The container using the phase change thermal energy storage
synthetic chemical will remain cold longer than any water based
thermal storage system. The clear advantages of this invention is
that the volume of the storage container is not minimized by the
presence of a freezing block or a hot pack and the phase change
thermal energy storage synthetic chemical can be used both for
cooling and/or heating and it will perform for a longer continuous
period.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the
prior thermal storage devices by combining the advantages of a
sealed double wall container with a phase change thermal energy
storage synthetic chemical which creates a superior portable and
reusable cold/hot thermal storage container.
[0006] According to the invention, there is provided a double
walled container with a double walled lid. The double walled
container, and lid, having thinner internal walls than the exterior
walls and the hollow section between the two walls is filled with a
phase change thermal energy storage synthetic chemical, and
sealed.
[0007] The double walled container is then pre-cooled at standard
refrigerator freezer temperatures and/or heated in a hot water bath
or micro-wave oven. The container can be used to store food or
other items that need to be maintained cold or hot for longer
periods than previously available by use of the standard water and
salt based cold or hot storage chemicals.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Other advantages of the invention will become apparent from
the following drawings.
[0009] FIG. 1 is a cut away view of a container, and lid, having an
outer wall, a thinner inner wall, and having the space between the
two walls filled with the phase change thermal energy storage
synthetic chemical.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a cut away view of a container, and lid, having an
outer wall, an air pocket, a middle wall, and a thinner inner wall,
and having the space between the middle wall and the inner wall
filled with the phase change thermal energy storage synthetic
chemical. In this FIG. the air pocket acts as an extra insulting
layer to maintain the desired internal temperature longer.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a cut away view of a container, and lid, with
multiple isolated compartments within the same container. The
container has an outer exterior wall, a thinner inner wall, and
having the space between any two walls filled with the phase change
thermal energy storage synthetic chemical.
[0012] FIG. 4 is a cut away view of a container, and lid, with a
divided compartment with in the same container. The container has
an outer wall and thinner inner walls, and having the space between
the any two walls filled with the phase change thermal energy
storage synthetic chemical
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] Referring generally to FIG. 1-4 and more specific to FIG. 1,
a container and lid having a double wall, where the outer container
wall is thicker than the inner wall and the hollow area between the
walls is filled with a phase change thermal energy storage
synthetic chemical. The container walls can be manufactured of
polymers, metals, or ceramic materials and they can be sealed by
heat sealing or glue. The phase change thermal energy synthetic
chemical can be a DOWCAL.TM. a Dow Chemical product. The phase
change thermal energy synthetic chemical can be an ethylene glycol,
a polypropylene glycol, or any other of the many similar type phase
change thermal energy synthetic chemicals available in the
market.
[0014] Another alternative embodiment is shown in FIG. 2, a
container and lid having a three layered wall. The two outer most
walls are comprised of a thick outer wall and a thinner inner wall.
The space between the outer wall and the inner wall are maintained
as an air gap to promote better insulation. The thicker middle wall
and the far most internal thinnest wall creates a space between
them that is filled with a phase change thermal energy synthetic
chemical.
[0015] Yet another alternative embodiment is shown in FIG. 3 &
4. They again comprise of the same design as the item in FIG. 1
with an addition of multiple chambers to keep various items in the
same container without mixing, however, designs similar to FIG. 2
with the addition of multiple compartments are also possible to
increase thermal efficiency.
[0016] In practice, the container can be made of any practical size
and shape. The size of the chambers can be varied to accommodate
common foods or other stuff, i.e. square sandwiches, bottled drinks
or loose items.
[0017] The container can be pre-cooled or pre-heated by placing the
container in a common standard freezer for cooling or heated in a
microwave oven or hot water bath.
[0018] Various modifications and changes may be made by one skilled
in the art and without departing from the spirit of the invention
as expressed in the accompanying claims. Hence, all matters shown
and described are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a
limiting sense.
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