U.S. patent application number 15/401548 was filed with the patent office on 2017-07-13 for temperature controlled packaging and transportation method.
The applicant listed for this patent is THE WOOL PACKAGING COMPANY LIMITED. Invention is credited to Angela Frances Morris.
Application Number | 20170198959 15/401548 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55445699 |
Filed Date | 2017-07-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170198959 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Morris; Angela Frances |
July 13, 2017 |
Temperature Controlled Packaging and Transportation Method
Abstract
A thermally insulated product delivery container (PDC),
including therewithin a rigid shell defining a hollow tube
containing wool, first and second tube-end closure boxes containing
wool to thereby collectively define an inner void for receiving at
least one phase change material container for providing a
temperature controlled condition within the void in the presence of
a phase change material (PCM), and at least one thermal baffle
positionable between the or each phase change material.
Inventors: |
Morris; Angela Frances;
(Market Drayton, GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
THE WOOL PACKAGING COMPANY LIMITED |
Stone |
|
GB |
|
|
Family ID: |
55445699 |
Appl. No.: |
15/401548 |
Filed: |
January 9, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 17/042 20130101;
F25D 2317/0411 20130101; B65D 81/38 20130101; F25D 2303/083
20130101; F25D 3/08 20130101; F25D 2303/082 20130101; F25D
2303/0844 20130101; F25D 2201/12 20130101; B65D 81/3834
20130101 |
International
Class: |
F25D 3/08 20060101
F25D003/08; F25D 17/04 20060101 F25D017/04; B65D 81/38 20060101
B65D081/38 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 8, 2016 |
GB |
1600308.9 |
Claims
1. A thermally insulated product delivery container (PDC),
including therewithin a rigid shell defining a hollow tube
containing wool, first and second tube-end closure boxes containing
wool to thereby collectively define an inner void for receiving at
least one phase change material container for providing a
temperature controlled condition within the void in the presence of
a phase change material (PCM), and at least one thermal baffle
positionable between the or each phase change material container
and a product to be carried within the compartment.
2. The PDC of claim 1 further including a corrugated cardboard
container within which may be inserted a foldable corrugated
tubular cardboard shell containing wool between its inner and outer
walls, and a pair of tube closure boxes, one for each end of the
tube, each also containing wool to therefore collectively define a
product receiving void which acts to hygroscopically control the
temperature gradient between the outside of the container and the
inside of the container.
3. The PDC of claim 1 in which one or more PCM containers may
therefore be introduced into the interior of the container as a
means of establishing a desired temperature range for the
atmosphere within the container
4. A PDC according to claim 1 further including a thermal baffle
between the product and the or each PCM container in order to
ensure that a product to be transported within the container does
not become too cold or too hot during transport.
5. The PDC of claim 4 in which the thermal baffle comprises one or
more layers of corrugated cardboard serving to control the flow of
heat to or from the product, thereby to prevent or inhibit thermal
shock to the product.
6. A PDC according to claim 1 of modular form, being cuboid or
cylindrical, in which the hollow wool-containing shell is a sliding
fit within the container, the or each PCM container is a sliding
fit within the wool-containing shell, a thermal baffle is a sliding
fit over the or each PCM container e.g. a medical product in its
original primary packaging fitted over or between the or each
thermal baffle so that when the container is closed it assumes a
generally rigid structure whereby to minimise mechanical damage to
the contents during transport.
7. A PDC according to claim 1 in which the or each PCM container
includes apertures with which to exchange temperature differences
within the PDC.
8. A PDC according to claim 1 in which the first and second tube
closure boxes are each separated into two compartments one for
receiving wool and the other for receiving a PCM for controlling
the temperature within the interior of the PCD.
9. A method of transporting temperature-sensitive products by the
use of a container, the method including the steps of identifying
for the product to be delivered a required minimum and maximum
temperature range for the duration of transport, identifying a
suitable PCM and identifying a suitable thickness or composition of
thermal baffle acting between the PCM and the product being
transported so as to prevent or inhibit thermal damage thereto.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of British Patent
Application Ser. No. 1600308.9, the disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This invention relates to the transport of
temperature-sensitive products, such as vaccines where it is
desirable or even essential for the product to arrive at its
destination without having experienced extremes of temperature.
BACKGROUND
[0003] It is well known that sheep's wool is a useful hygroscopic
material that can be used within packaging such as corrugated
cardboard boxes to provide a local temperature climate within the
box by which products being transported, such as heat sensitive
vaccines, can be kept within a required temperature range, such as
between 2.degree. C. and 8.degree. C., without any artificial means
for controlling temperature within the box. This is particularly
useful in circumstances whereby power is unavailable for
artificially controlling the temperature of the box and it is now
even possible to transport fragile items such as vaccines and donor
organs to remote places over a period of at least 72 hours without
any substantial degradation in the required temperature range. This
concept can be assisted by the use of phase change materials (PCMs)
such as ice, which gradually melt or otherwise change phase during
transport, thereby absorbing heat without unduly increasing the
temperature of the immediately surrounding environment. However, it
is also known that live vaccines and living organs can be killed or
irreparably damaged by the presence of PCMs in such containers and
the present invention is derived from the realisation that there is
a need to resolve this problem in a user-friendly manner without
resorting to powered refrigeration techniques.
SUMMARY
[0004] According to a first aspect of the invention there is
provided a thermally insulated product delivery container (PDC),
including therewithin a rigid shell defining a hollow tube
containing wool, first and second tube-end closure boxes containing
wool to thereby collectively define an inner void for receiving at
least one phase change material container for providing a
temperature controlled condition within the void in the presence of
a phase change material (PCM), and at least one thermal baffle
positionable between the or each phase change material container
and a product to be carried within the compartment.
[0005] With this arrangement, the PDC may take the form of a
corrugated cardboard container within which may be inserted a
foldable corrugated tubular cardboard shell containing wool between
its inner and outer walls, and a pair of tube closure boxes, one
for each end of the tube, each also containing wool to therefore
collectively define a product receiving void which acts to
hygroscopically control the temperature gradient between the
outside of the container and the inside of the container. One or
more PCM containers may therefore be introduced into the interior
of the container as a means of establishing a desired temperature
range for the atmosphere within the container and, in order to
ensure that a product to be transported within the container does
not become too cold or too hot during transport a thermal baffle is
provided between the product and the or each PCM container.
[0006] Conveniently, the thermal baffle comprises one or more
layers of corrugated cardboard serving to control the flow of heat
to or from the product, thereby to prevent or inhibit thermal shock
to the product.
[0007] Preferably, the PDC is modular, being cuboid or cylindrical,
in which the hollow wool-containing shell is a sliding fit within
the container, the or each PCM container is a sliding fit within
the wool-containing shell, a thermal baffle is a sliding fit over
the or each PCM container e.g. a medical product in its original
primary packaging fitted over or between the or each thermal baffle
so that when the container is closed it assumes a generally rigid
structure whereby to minimise mechanical damage to the contents
during transport. Conveniently, the or each PCM container includes
apertures with which to exchange temperature differences within the
PDC.
[0008] Conveniently, the first and second tube closure boxes are
each separated into two compartments one for receiving wool and the
other for receiving a PCM for controlling the temperature within
the interior of the PCD.
[0009] The invention in a second aspect also provides a method of
transporting temperature-sensitive products by the use of a
container in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, the
method including the steps of identifying for the product to be
delivered a required minimum and maximum temperature range for the
duration of transport, identifying a suitable PCM and identifying a
suitable thickness or composition of thermal baffle acting between
the PCM and the product being transported so as to prevent or
inhibit thermal damage thereto.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE
[0010] The invention will now be described, by way of example only,
with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows an exploded
view of a product delivery container (PDC) 1 according to the first
aspect of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] The PDC 1 comprises a cuboid corrugated cardboard box 2
insertable within which is a correspondingly shaped and sized
hollow tubular shell 3 having therewithin a continuous batt of wool
to, in use, act as a hygroscopic thermal insulant. The inner wall 4
of the hollow shell 3 is of shape and size corresponding to the
external dimensions of, respectively, a first tube closure box 5
having a lower chamber 5a containing wool (not shown) and an upper
chamber 5b into which may be placed a PCM such as plastics-covered
ice cubes which may thermally interact with the area of the
interior of the PCD via a series of ventilation apertures 6. Above
the apertures are a pair of thermal baffles 7, 8 between which may
be placed a product to be transported (not shown) such as a
pre-packaged temperature sensitive vaccine. Above the thermal
baffle 8 is a dedicated PCM container 9 having various apertures
(not shown) for permitting thermal interaction with a PCM and the
inside of the container 1, above which is a second tube closure box
10 which, as with the first tube closure box 5 includes an outer
compartment 10a containing wool and an inner compartment 10b for
containing further PCM.
[0012] In use, the hollow wool-insulated tube 3 is placed within
the cardboard box 2 and the first tube closure box 5 is pushed down
to the lower end of tube 3 after a PCM has been inserted within the
upper compartment 5b. The thermal baffle 7 is then placed on top
immediately below a product to be carried (not shown) whereafter
the second baffle 8 is placed thereover followed by PCM container 9
and finally the second tube closure box 10 after the PCM container
10b has been filled with a PCM.
[0013] As will be apparent, the size and shape of the PDC may vary
to suit the type of product being transported but in each case the
general principle in accordance with the invention is that the
product is surrounded by an outer layer of hygroscopic thermal
insulation in the form of wool and the product itself is protected
from any adverse thermal shock from the PCM by the presence of
thermal baffles 7, 8, the thickness of which may be adjusted to
suit the requirements of the product being transported. Thus, it
has been found through trial and error that a thermal barrier
containing folded layers of corrugated cardboard is sufficient to
protect live and other vaccines from cold damage by the PCM.
[0014] A further feature of the invention is that all of the
components (other than the thermal insulation and PCM) can be made
from sheet material such as corrugated cardboard, which lends
itself to recycling along with the wool or even re-use of the
product delivery container in the event that there has been little
or no damage to it during transport. This has the added benefit in
permitting PDC to be flat-packed for storage and transport to
end-users for subsequent self-assembly.
* * * * *