U.S. patent application number 14/239134 was filed with the patent office on 2014-07-17 for delivery container for temperature sensitive goods.
This patent application is currently assigned to Gary Wayne FERGUSON. The applicant listed for this patent is Gary Wayne Ferguson, Keith Wyness. Invention is credited to Gary Wayne Ferguson, Keith Wyness.
Application Number | 20140196496 14/239134 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47714835 |
Filed Date | 2014-07-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140196496 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ferguson; Gary Wayne ; et
al. |
July 17, 2014 |
DELIVERY CONTAINER FOR TEMPERATURE SENSITIVE GOODS
Abstract
A delivery container for temperature sensitive goods is provided
having sidewalls, a rear wall, top and bottom walls all of a heat
insulated construction, an upright access opening opposite the rear
wall and a door assembly for selectively closing the access
opening. Multiple generally upright cavities are associated with
the sidewalls and rear wall. A cooling gas distribution arrangement
includes a refrigerant receiving recess (12) provided in a
refrigerant support tray having surfaces (15) inclined downwardly
towards an upper region of the sidewalls and rear wall for
distributing cooling gases generated by refrigerant located in the
refrigerant receiving recess (12) to openings communicating with
the multiple upright cavities, in use. The door assembly preferably
includes an uppermost panel (35) that opens separately from the
balance (36, 37, 38) of the door to provide access to the
refrigerant receiving recess (12) for installing or removing
refrigerant whilst the rest of the door assembly remains
closed.
Inventors: |
Ferguson; Gary Wayne; (Cape
Town, ZA) ; Wyness; Keith; (Somerset West,
ZA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ferguson; Gary Wayne
Wyness; Keith |
Cape Town
Somerset West |
|
ZA
ZA |
|
|
Assignee: |
FERGUSON; Gary Wayne
Cape Town
ZA
SEARLE; John Peter
Cape Town
ZA
|
Family ID: |
47714835 |
Appl. No.: |
14/239134 |
Filed: |
August 15, 2012 |
PCT Filed: |
August 15, 2012 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB2012/054162 |
371 Date: |
February 14, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/449 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 3/125 20130101;
F25D 11/003 20130101; B62B 3/003 20130101; B62B 3/004 20130101;
F25D 2303/0844 20130101; B62B 2204/04 20130101; B62B 2204/06
20130101; B62B 2501/065 20130101; B62B 5/00 20130101; F25D 3/06
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/449 |
International
Class: |
F25D 11/00 20060101
F25D011/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 16, 2011 |
ZA |
2011/05980 |
Claims
1. A delivery container for temperature sensitive goods, the
delivery container having sidewalls, a rear wall, a top and a
bottom wall all of a heat insulated construction, an upright access
opening opposite the rear wall, a door assembly for selectively
closing the access opening, and a cooling gas distribution
arrangement including a refrigerant receiving recess in a top
region of an interior of the container and multiple generally
upright cavities associated with the sidewalls and rear wall,
wherein the refrigerant receiving recess is provided in a
refrigerant support tray having surfaces inclined downwardly
towards an upper region of the sidewalls and rear wall of the
delivery container for distributing cooling gases generated by
refrigerant located in the refrigerant receiving recess to openings
communicating with the multiple upright cavities, in use.
2. A delivery container for temperature sensitive goods as claimed
in claim 1 in which the refrigerant support tray is removable from
the delivery container.
3. A delivery container for temperature sensitive goods as claimed
in claim 1 in which the multiple upright cavities are in the form
of upright flutes between twin walls of an extruded plastics
sheet.
4. A delivery container for temperature sensitive goods as claimed
in claim 3 in which the extruded plastics sheet is removable from
the delivery container.
5. A delivery container for temperature sensitive goods as claimed
in claim 1 in which at least a part of the bottom of the
refrigerant receiving recess is of a thermally conductive material
with the balance of the support tray being of heat insulating
material.
6. A delivery container for refrigerated goods as claimed in claim
1 in which the gas distribution arrangement includes a perforated
gutter having a perforated metal section with an upper upright
flange connected to an inwardly offset lower flange by way of an
integral inclined web through which perforations pass.
7. A delivery container for temperature sensitive goods as claimed
in claim 1 in which the refrigerant support tray is removable in
the manner of a drawer and the inclined surfaces are partially
carried by a removable refrigerant support tray and partially by a
ledge that extends inwards from the side wall and rear wall of the
delivery container and that serves to support the tray.
8. A delivery container for temperature sensitive goods as claimed
in claim 1 in which the refrigerant support tray forms part of a
support tray assembly that occupies the entire space between the
side walls and rear wall and the downwardly inclined surfaces
communicate directly with openings communicating with the multiple
cavities
9. A delivery container for temperature sensitive goods as claimed
in claim 8 in which the openings are the open ends of flutes of a
fluted twin wall sheet.
10-15. (canceled)
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a delivery container for
temperature sensitive goods which term includes frozen and chilled
goods in the context of this specification.
[0002] More particularly, the invention relates to a delivery
container in which a refrigerant such as dry ice or eutectic plates
or the like are employed to impart a cooling effect on the interior
of a heat insulated delivery container.
[0003] The invention is especially, although not exclusively,
concerned with delivery containers having cavities in their walls
extending from an upper region to a lower region of the container
so that cold gases and vapours can flow down the cavities from an
upper region to a lower region in order to effectively insulate and
refrigerate the interior of the container. Delivery containers of
this general type are more fully described in granted South African
patent number 98/2759 entitled "A COLD STORAGE CONTAINER".
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0004] There is a substantial requirement for the delivery of
chilled and frozen goods to consumer outlets from central
distribution centres. Delivery containers such as those described
in the patent identified above are typically of a generally upright
configuration and are mounted on caster style wheels in order to
facilitate movement thereof from one place to another over a
suitable floor or other support surface. Typically the delivery
containers have a vertical narrower side that forms an access
opening that is closed by means of a suitable heat insulated door
assembly.
[0005] The door assembly does not necessarily have cavities of the
type indicated above therein and is upright in the closed
condition. Prior art door assemblies include those that have a
number of heat insulating panels hingedly interconnected so that
they can be folded to a stacked condition on the top of the
delivery container in order to open the access opening.
[0006] Delivery containers of this general nature, in order to be
effective in practice, need to distribute cooling gases generally
evenly towards the sides and rear of the delivery container. This
is especially important in the instance that upright cavities are
provided in the walls. The cooling gases may be either sublimated
dry ice (CO.sub.2 gas) or air made cold by one or more eutectic
plates or any other refrigerant. The dry ice or eutectic plates in
each case are associated with a refrigerant support in the upper
region of the container.
[0007] Applicant believes that there is a need for a delivery
container of the type outlined above having a refrigerant support
assembly that enables cooling gases to be effectively distributed
towards the sides and rear of the container.
[0008] Applicant believes that there is also a need for a delivery
container in which the introduction and replacement of dry ice
refrigerant is facilitated as well as the introduction and removal
of any eutectic plates.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In accordance with a first aspect of this invention there is
provided a delivery container for temperature sensitive goods, the
delivery container having sidewalls, a rear wall, top and bottom
walls all of a heat insulated construction, an upright access
opening opposite the rear wall, a door assembly for selectively
closing the access opening, and a cooling gas distribution
arrangement including a refrigerant receiving recess in the top
region of the interior thereof and multiple generally upright
cavities associated with the sidewalls and rear wall, the delivery
container being characterised in that the refrigerant receiving
recess is provided in a refrigerant support tray having surfaces
inclined downwardly towards an upper region of the sidewalls and
rear wall of the delivery container for distributing cooling gases
generated by refrigerant located in the refrigerant receiving
recess to openings communicating with the multiple upright
cavities, in use.
[0010] Further features of the first aspect of the invention
provide for the refrigerant support tray to be removable from the
delivery container; for the support tray to have surfaces inclined
downwardly from a surrounding edge of the recess towards an upper
region of the sidewalls and rear wall of the delivery container,
for the multiple upright cavities to be in the form of upright
flutes between twin walls of an extruded plastics sheet such as a
polypropylene sheet; for the extruded plastics sheet to be
removable from the delivery container; and for at least a part of
the bottom of the refrigerant receiving recess to be of a thermally
conductive material with the balance of the support tray being of
heat insulating material.
[0011] The gas distribution arrangement may include a perforated
gutter that may include a perforated metal section having an upper
upright flange connected to an inwardly offset lower flange by way
of an integral inclined web through which the perforations pass in
which instance the perforations of the gutter are in registration
with the upper open ends of the cavities such as the flutes of a
twin walled fluted extruded sheet.
[0012] In a first variation of the invention the refrigerant
support tray is removable very much in the manner of a drawer in
order to facilitate installation, removal or replacement of
refrigerant in the refrigerant receiving recess in which instance
the inclined surfaces may be partially carried by the removable
refrigerant support tray and partially by a ledge that extends
inwards from the wall of the delivery container and that serves to
support the tray.
[0013] In a second variation of the invention the refrigerant
support tray may form part of a support tray assembly that occupies
the entire space between the side walls and rear wall in which
instance the downwardly inclined surfaces can communicate directly
with openings communicating with the multiple cavities and the
openings could simply be the open ends of flutes of a fluted twin
wall sheet.
[0014] In accordance with a second aspect of the invention there is
provided a delivery container for temperature sensitive goods, the
delivery container having sidewalls, a rear wall, top and bottom
walls, all of a heat insulated construction, an upright access
opening opposite the rear wall, a door assembly for selectively
closing the access opening, and a cooling gas distribution
arrangement including a central refrigerant receiving recess in the
top region of the interior thereof, the delivery container being
characterised in that the door assembly includes an uppermost panel
that opens separately from the balance of the door to provide
access to the refrigerant receiving recess for installing or
removing refrigerant whilst the rest of the door assembly remains
closed.
[0015] Further features of the second aspect of the invention
provide for the central refrigerant receiving recess to be provided
in a refrigerant support tray that is removable by way of an
opening formed by opening the uppermost panel of the door assembly;
for the door assembly to comprise multiple panels the uppermost
panel of which may remain closed while the rest of the door
assembly is open; and for the rest of the door assembly to be
configured as a plurality of panels connected by hinged sections so
that the panels can be stacked on top of the delivery container
when the door is open with one panel adjacent to the uppermost
panel extending over the outside of the uppermost panel.
[0016] As a general rule, delivery containers according to the
invention are made in a configuration such that the interior
thereof may be devoid of any shelves or the like and is dimensioned
to receive a stack of crates or the like that mutually support each
other in a stacked configuration and that may contain products
being transported or, in the alternative, any products may be
supported on removable racks or the like. Of course, one or more
shelves that are optionally removable may be provided.
[0017] In order that the above and other features of the invention
may be more fully understood, one embodiment thereof will now be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] In the drawings:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the
invention with the entire door assembly removed;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a front view thereof;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a plan view thereof with the top removed;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a perspective sectional view of part of the
refrigerant support tray and supporting ledge and gutter assembly
of the delivery container;
[0023] FIG. 5 is a detailed side view of a part of a metal section
providing the perforations of the gutter;
[0024] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of an end of the section;
[0025] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a part of the metal section
including one corner thereof;
[0026] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the delivery container with
the door assembly in a fully closed position;
[0027] FIG. 9 is the same but with the uppermost panel in an open
condition;
[0028] FIG. 10 is the same as FIG. 8 but showing only the lowermost
door panel open;
[0029] FIG. 11 is the same as FIG. 8 but showing the rest of the
door assembly in a fully open position;
[0030] FIG. 12 is a side view of the delivery container showing the
manner in which the relevant door panels stack on top of the
container in the open condition;
[0031] FIG. 13 illustrates the support ledge and gutter assembly
supporting a eutectic plate as a replacement for the refrigerant
support tray illustrated in FIG. 4;
[0032] FIG. 14 illustrates a second embodiment of the refrigerant
support tray;
[0033] FIG. 15 illustrates in a three-dimensional sectional view
the second embodiment of refrigerant support tray in situ in its
associated delivery container;
[0034] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional plan view of the second
embodiment of the invention illustrating in particular the
arrangement of the twin walled sheets;
[0035] FIG. 17 is a three-dimensional view from the front of an
empty second embodiment of delivery container according to the
invention (with the entire door assembly and channel supports
removed); and,
[0036] FIG. 18 illustrates a variation of the arrangement
illustrated in FIGS. 10 to 12 of the drawings that is aimed at
preserving cold gases present in the container.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS
[0037] In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to
13 of the drawings, a delivery container (1) for temperature
sensitive goods is dimensioned to accommodate a stack of generally
shallow crates (2) containing chilled or frozen goods for transport
from a central distribution point to remote distribution outlets.
Such a stack of crates is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.
[0038] The delivery container has heat insulated sidewalls (3), a
rear wall (4), a top wall (5) and a bottom wall (6) with a totally
open front providing an upright access opening. The entire
container is rendered mobile by mounting it on caster wheels (7) to
facilitate its movement from one place to another over a suitable
floor or other support surface. As an alternative to caster wheels,
a sled arrangement may be used.
[0039] A cooling gas distribution arrangement is provided in the
uppermost region of the container, the gas distribution arrangement
including a removable refrigerant support tray (11) having a
refrigerant receiving recess (12) that is located centrally with
respect to the sidewalls and forwardly of the rear wall. The
refrigerant receiving recess is dimensioned to receive blocks (13)
of dry ice, or in the alternative, frozen eutectic plates. It may
be that different trays will most advantageously be provided so
that one of a different configuration may be used for blocks of dry
ice or, in the alternative, frozen eutectic plates. As a further
alternative eutectic plates may be installed in the place of the
tray itself.
[0040] The refrigerant support tray is, in this embodiment of the
invention, removable very much in the manner of a drawer in order
to facilitate installation, removal or replacement of refrigerant
in the refrigerant receiving recess. The tray is supported by a
ledge (14) extending inwards from the wall of the delivery
container. The ledge and tray each have aligned downwardly inclined
surfaces (15) extending from a surrounding edge (16) of the recess
towards a peripheral gutter (17) extending above the upper end
region of the inner region of the sidewalls and rear wall.
[0041] The gutter has multiple equally spaced perforations (18) for
distributing cooling gases settling in the gutter, in use,
substantially evenly to the upper ends of the sidewalls and rear
wall. The gutter conveniently includes a metal section (21) having
an upper upright flange (22) connected to an inwardly offset lower
flange (23) by way of an integral inclined web (24) through which
the perforations pass.
[0042] The sidewalls and rear wall each have multiple upright
cavities in the form of flutes between twin walled sheets (26) of
an extruded polypropylene such as that sold under the trade name
CORFLUTE.RTM. by the company COREX PLASTICS (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD or,
in South Africa, under the trade name CORUPLAS.RTM. by the company
AMPAGLAS (PTY) LTD. The sheets of twin walled extrusion are, in
this embodiment of the invention, affixed to the inner surface of
the outer wall of the container that has a core (27) of heat
insulating foam that is enclosed in a suitable hollow external
moulded plastic shell (29) that is typically rotation moulded and
subsequently filled with the foam (see FIG. 3). The perforations
(18) of the gutter are preferably aligned with the open upper ends
of the individual flute cavities (30) of the twin walled sheets. Of
course, it is equally possible that an extruded section may have
only one wall from which multiple upright flanges project and that
those flanges may be directed either towards the inner wall of the
container or towards the product stored therein so long as multiple
cavities are provided.
[0043] With reference to FIG. 4, the bottom (31) of the refrigerant
receiving recess is of a thermally conductive material such as
aluminium sheet with the balance (32) of the support tray being of
heat insulating material such as suitable integral skin foamed
polyurethane or equivalent heat insulating foamed plastics
material. The inwardly projecting ledge (14) associated with the
upper region of the sidewalls and rear wall of the delivery
container is similarly made of a suitable foamed heat insulating
material.
[0044] A door assembly is provided for selectively closing the
access opening, and, as provided by the second aspect of this
invention, the door assembly includes an uppermost panel (35) that
opens separately from the balance of the door to provide access to
the removable refrigerant support tray for installing or removing
refrigerant whilst the rest of the door assembly remains closed.
FIG. 9 illustrates this uppermost panel in an open condition.
[0045] The balance of the door comprises further three panels (36,
37, 38) connected to each other by hinged sections so that the
lowermost two panels (37, 38) can be stacked on top of the delivery
container when the door is open with panel (36) next to the
uppermost panel extending over the outside of the uppermost panel,
as shown clearly in FIGS. 11 and 12.
[0046] The construction of the door panels is substantially
conventional and each panel is made of heat insulating material and
fits snugly into its closed position in the access aperture and has
hook and loop style fasteners (41) (such as those sold under the
trade name "VELCRO.RTM." for securing the panels in the closed
position by inter engagement of fasteners that are applied to the
front edges of the sidewalls, top wall and bottom wall and those
that project laterally from the panels of the door. The arrangement
is such that, in the closed position of the panels of the door, the
interior of the delivery container is effectively thermally
insulated.
[0047] Both the uppermost and the lowermost panels (35, 38) have
loops (42) of strap material that can be pulled to disengage the
relevant panel from the delivery container as and when it is
required to open that particular panel.
[0048] In use, cooling of the airspace around temperature sensitive
goods loaded into the delivery container is achieved in the first
place by convection of cold air or other gases within the
container. This occurs in consequence of the cold under-surface of
the thermally conductive bottom of the refrigerant receiving recess
or, in the alternative, the bottom of a eutectic plate installed in
place of the support tray itself. This convective action is
primarily responsible for the cooling of the internal gases and the
goods loaded into the delivery container and takes place consequent
on heat being absorbed by the change of phase of dry ice from a
solid to a gas or from a solid to a liquid in the case of a
eutectic plate respectively.
[0049] The flow of cold gas or air, or a mixture of both, off the
top of the refrigerant in the support tray or the eutectic plate
and thence down the fluting, lowers the temperature of the twin
walled sheeting and is effective in that it is considered to flush
away radiated heat that makes its way through the insulated
containers walls. This may be considered to be a second line of
defense against the ingress of radiated heat through the walls of
the container and may be viewed as active insulation whereas the
foam of the walls of the container serve as passive insulation. Any
increase in the volume of gases within the delivery container
consequent on the sublimation of dry ice within the support tray is
accommodated using an outlet in the bottom of the delivery
container as described in earlier South African patent number
98/2759 entitled "A COLD STORAGE CONTAINER".
[0050] Numerous variations may be made to the embodiment of the
invention described above without departing from the scope hereof.
For example, the door panels may be arranged to be capable of being
opened sequentially in a downwards direction from the door panel
immediately beneath the uppermost panel that provides access to the
refrigerant support tray or eutectic plates, as the case may be.
Providing a series of downwardly opening door panels has the
distinct advantage that cold air trapped in the lower regions of
the container remains trapped while the uppermost goods are removed
from the container.
[0051] Also, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the entire refrigerant tray
may be replaced by one or more eutectic plates (45) that may be
therefore supported directly on the ledge (14) so the eutectic
plates will simply replace the entire refrigerant tray in this
embodiment of the invention.
[0052] However, in the second variation of the invention defined
above, and with reference to FIGS. 14 to 17 of the drawings, the
refrigerant support tray may be combined with the ledge described
above to form a refrigerant support tray assembly (51) that is
removable from the delivery container and that is attached to it
differently. In this instance the support tray assembly has edges
(52) that cooperate with the top edge (53) of each of two twin
walled sheets (54) that line the sidewalls and rear wall of the
delivery container with the outer edge of the downwardly inclined
surfaces (55) extending from the periphery of the refrigerant
recess (56) to the twin walled sheet. This arrangement is such that
the edges of the support tray assembly urge the upper edges of the
twin walled sheets towards the sidewall and rear wall with which
they are associated.
[0053] With this arrangement the necessity for the perforated
gutter is totally obviated as the inclined surfaces (55) of the
support tray assembly communicate directly with the open upper ends
of the flutes (58) of the twin walled sheets and this arrangement
automatically distributes cooling gases sufficiently evenly to
ensure that the interior of the delivery container remains
appropriately cold. This will be quite apparent from FIG. 15 of the
drawings.
[0054] The support tray assembly is removable and is secured in its
operative position by means of four upstanding suspension
formations (61) that engage in cooperating downwardly directed
channel supports (62) that are attached to the inside of the top of
the delivery container. The support tray assembly is attached to
the channel supports by means of transverse fasteners (63).
[0055] In order to allow the support tray assembly to be
appropriately close to the top of the delivery container, the
transverse fasteners are arranged so that the front two can be
removed firstly; the front of the support tray assembly can be
dropped a short distance followed by removal of the rear transverse
fasteners. Installation of the support tray assembly clearly takes
place using the reverse procedure.
[0056] This arrangement further enables the twin walled sheets to
be configured so that they are removable for cleaning and
optionally replacement purposes. In this instance each of the twin
walled sheets comprises a side panel covering substantially the
entire sidewall in plan view and a rear panel that covers one half
of the rear wall of the delivery container.
[0057] Each of these twin walled sheets has a front edge (65) that
is trapped in a rearwardly directed channel formation (66) and a
rear edge (67) that is trapped in a laterally directed channel
formation (68) in the centre of the rear of the delivery container.
The former channel formation (66) is formed by an inwardly directed
flange of an angle section (69) that is secured to the front edge
of the delivery container and that has an outwardly directed
surface that forms the attachment surface for receiving the one
strip of the hook and loop fastener that is described in more
detail above in relation to the first embodiment of the invention.
The laterally directed channel formation (68) is, on the other
hand, defined by the crossbar of a central upright Tee section (71)
that projects forwards from the rear wall of the delivery
container.
[0058] It will be understood that the edges of the support tray
assembly hold the twin walled sheets in their positions described
above. However, if it is required to remove them for cleaning or
other purposes, the refrigerant support tray assembly is firstly
removed, and thereafter, as shown in FIG. 17, a suction cup
assembly (72) can be engaged with the inside of a side panel. The
side panel sheet can be pulled away from the sidewall of the
delivery container so that it flexes outwards sufficiently for the
front edge of the sheet to disengage from the rearwardly directed
channel formation. This is indicated by the abode dotted line (73)
in FIG. 16. The relevant sheet can then be moved outwards through
the access opening to enable the rear edge of the sheet to be
disengaged from the laterally directed channel formation (68). The
delivery container can then be thoroughly cleaned as can the twin
walled sheets, or they can be replaced as may be required and
according to the products to be stored therein.
[0059] FIG. 18 illustrates a variation of the arrangement
illustrated in FIGS. 10 to 12 of the drawings in that, in the
interests of preserving cold atmosphere present in the container,
for example whilst an upper crate is removed, the second door panel
down (75), that is the one directly beneath the uppermost panel
(76) that opens separately to provide access to the refrigerant
support tray assembly, can open downwards instead of upwards. This
enables a single panel to be opened and, indeed, other lower door
panels (77, 78) to be opened progressively downwards in each
instance preventing the relatively heavy cold gases and cold
atmosphere from flowing out of the delivery container.
[0060] It will be understood that numerous other variations may be
made to the embodiment of the invention described above without
departing from the scope hereof.
* * * * *