U.S. patent application number 17/018905 was filed with the patent office on 2022-03-17 for passive temperature controlled packaging system as a uld.
This patent application is currently assigned to Sonoco Development, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Sonoco Development, Inc.. Invention is credited to Iftekhar Ahmed, Bradley Morrison DeGrow, John David Foster, Benjamin Gerald VanderPlas.
Application Number | 20220081200 17/018905 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | |
Filed Date | 2022-03-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220081200 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
VanderPlas; Benjamin Gerald ;
et al. |
March 17, 2022 |
Passive Temperature Controlled Packaging System as a ULD
Abstract
A container suitable for use in a shipment of a cargo by air may
include a container body having a top wall, a bottom wall, a front
wall, a rear wall and oppositely disposed side walls and defining a
cargo space within the container. The container body may be
fabricated as a structure that is a compliant unit load device
(ULD) container meeting specified aviation authority structural
requirements. A passive temperature control system is located
within the cargo space and may have a plurality of insulation
panels connected to inner surfaces of the walls of the container
body, at least one rack proximate a corresponding wall of the
container body, and a plurality of refrigerant bottles filled with
a thermal medium and received by the at least one rack to passively
maintain a cargo space temperature in the cargo space during the
shipment of the cargo.
Inventors: |
VanderPlas; Benjamin Gerald;
(Northbrook, IL) ; DeGrow; Bradley Morrison;
(Cary, NC) ; Ahmed; Iftekhar; (Pierrefonds,
CA) ; Foster; John David; (Mount Prospect,
IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Sonoco Development, Inc. |
Hartsville |
SC |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Sonoco Development, Inc.
Hartsville
SC
|
Appl. No.: |
17/018905 |
Filed: |
September 11, 2020 |
International
Class: |
B65D 88/14 20060101
B65D088/14; B65D 81/38 20060101 B65D081/38 |
Claims
1. A container suitable for use in a shipment of a cargo by air,
the container comprising: a container body having a top wall, a
bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall and oppositely disposed side
walls, wherein the container body defines a cargo space within the
container, and a passive temperature control system located within
the cargo space, the passive temperature control system comprising:
a plurality of insulation panels, wherein each of the plurality of
insulation panels is connected to an inner surface of a
corresponding wall of the container body, a rack proximate one of
the top wall and one of the oppositely disposed side walls, the
rack defining a slot, and a plurality of refrigerant bottles filled
with a thermal medium, wherein the plurality of refrigerant bottles
and the thermal medium are one of cooled and heated to a
predetermined temperature for the cargo being shipped in the
container and inserted into the slot of the rack to passively
maintain a cargo space temperature in the cargo space during the
shipment of the cargo.
2. The container of claim 1, wherein the container body is
fabricated as a structure that is a compliant unit load device
(ULD) container meeting specified aviation authority structural
requirements.
3. The container of claim 1, wherein the container body comprises:
a pallet forming the bottom wall; an outer enclosure forming the
top wall, the rear wall and the oppositely disposed side walls,
wherein the outer enclosure is mounted on the pallet; and a door
forming the front wall, wherein the door is connected to one of the
oppositely disposed side walls and rotatable between an open
position and a closed position.
4. The container of claim 1, comprising a telemetry system for
transmitting data in real time to a remote processor.
5. The container of claim 1, comprising a baseplate having an upper
metal sheet, a lower metal sheet and an internal core fabricated
from a thermoplastic polymer and disposed between the upper metal
sheet and the lower metal sheet, wherein the baseplate is disposed
on top of a bottom insulation panel.
6. The container of claim 5, wherein the thermoplastic polymer of
the internal core is high density polyethylene (HDPE).
7. The container of claim 1, wherein a bottom insulation panel has
a plurality of break holes extending therethrough, the container
comprising a plurality of thermal breaks having a thermal break
height that is greater than a bottom insulation panel thickness,
wherein each of the plurality of thermal breaks is disposed within
a corresponding one of the plurality of break holes such that each
of the plurality of thermal breaks engages a top surface of the
bottom wall, extends upward beyond an upper surface of the bottom
insulation panel, and supports a weight of the rack and the
plurality of refrigerant bottles.
8. The container of claim 7, comprising a baseplate having an upper
metal sheet, a lower metal sheet and an internal core fabricated
from a thermoplastic polymer and disposed between the upper metal
sheet and the lower metal sheet, wherein the baseplate is disposed
on top of the bottom insulation panel, wherein the baseplate has a
plurality of break notches defined therein with each of the
plurality of break notches having a position corresponding to one
of the plurality of break holes of the bottom insulation panel, and
wherein each of the plurality of thermal breaks extends upward
beyond the upper surface of the baseplate.
9. The container of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of
thermal breaks comprises: a break body; a break foot extending
downward from the break body and engaging the top surface of the
bottom wall when each of the plurality of thermal breaks is
disposed within a corresponding one of the plurality of break
holes; and a break shoulder extending upward from the break body
and extending above the bottom insulation panel and engaging the
rack when each of the plurality of thermal breaks is disposed
within the corresponding one of the plurality of break holes.
10. The container of claim 1, wherein the rack comprises: a top
rack disposed proximate the top wall; a first side rack disposed
proximate a first one of the oppositely disposed side walls; and a
second side rack disposed proximate a second one of the oppositely
disposed side walls.
11. The container of claim 1, wherein the rack comprises: a
plurality of parallel slats disposed on either side of the rack; a
plurality of upper tracks that are perpendicular to the plurality
of parallel slats and are oriented with upper track channels
opening downward; and a plurality of lower tracks that are
perpendicular to the plurality of parallel slats and are oriented
with lower track channels facing upward, wherein the plurality of
upper tracks and the plurality of lower tracks separate the
plurality of parallel slats on either side of the rack and are
alternated so that each corresponding pair of an upper track and a
lower track and corresponding portions of the plurality of parallel
slats define one of the slot of the rack.
12. The container of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of
insulation panels comprises: a vacuum insulated panel (VIP); and an
outer covering of expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam.
13. A container suitable for use in a shipment of a cargo by air,
the container comprising: a container body having a top wall, a
bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall and oppositely disposed side
walls, wherein the container body defines a cargo space within the
container, and wherein the container body is fabricated as a
structure that is a compliant unit load device (ULD) container
meeting specified aviation authority structural requirements; and a
passive temperature control system located within the cargo space
and having a plurality of insulation panels each connected to an
inner surface of a corresponding wall of the container body, at
least one rack proximate a corresponding one of the top wall and
the oppositely disposed side walls of the container body, and a
plurality of refrigerant bottles filled with a thermal medium and
received by the at least one rack to passively maintain a cargo
space temperature in the cargo space during the shipment of the
cargo.
14. The container of claim 13, wherein the container body
comprises: a pallet forming the bottom wall; an outer enclosure
forming the top wall, the rear wall and the oppositely disposed
side walls, wherein the outer enclosure is mounted on the pallet;
and a door forming the front wall, wherein the door is connected to
one of the oppositely disposed side walls and rotatable between an
open position and a closed position.
15. The container of claim 13, comprising a telemetry system for
transmitting data in real time to a remote processor.
16. A refrigerant bottle for a container suitable for use in a
shipment of a cargo by air, wherein the container has an inner
insulation layer and a rack proximate an insulation panel of the
inner insulation layer and defining at least one slot, the
refrigerant bottle comprising: a reservoir body that is sized to be
inserted into the at least one slot of the rack; and a connection
mechanism defined in the reservoir body and configured to connect a
plurality of refrigerant bottles in series for insertion and
removal of multiple refrigerant bottles into and out of the at
least on slot together, wherein the refrigerant bottle is one of
cooled and heated to a predetermined temperature for the cargo
being shipped in the container and inserted into the slot of the
rack to passively maintain a cargo space temperature in a cargo
space of the container during the shipment of the cargo.
17. The refrigerant bottle of claim 16, wherein the refrigerant
bottle is filled with a thermal medium.
18. The refrigerant bottle of claim 16, wherein the connection
mechanism comprises: a bottle tab extending outward from a first
end of the reservoir body; and a bottle socket defined in the
reservoir body at a second end opposite the first end of the
reservoir body, wherein the bottle tab and the bottle socket are
configured to interlock so that a first adjacent refrigerant bottle
may be connected to the first end of the reservoir body and a
second adjacent refrigerant bottle may be connected to the second
end of the reservoir body such that the refrigerant bottle, the
first adjacent refrigerant bottle and the second adjacent
refrigerant bottle move together into and out of the slot of the
rack.
19. The refrigerant bottle of claim 16, wherein the reservoir body
has a handle defined therein.
20. The refrigerant bottle of claim 16, the at least one slot of
the rack is defined by an upper track that is oriented with an
upper track channel opening facing downward and a lower track that
is oriented with lower track channel facing upward, wherein the
refrigerant bottle comprises: an upper shoulder extending upward
from an upper edge of the reservoir body; and an lower shoulder
extending downward from a lower edge of the reservoir body, wherein
the upper shoulder is received into the upper track channel of the
upper track and the lower shoulder is received into the lower track
channel of the lower track when the refrigerant bottle is inserted
into the at least one slot of the rack to guide the refrigerant
bottle within the at least one slot.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to air freight
shipping containers and, more particularly, to a passive
temperature controlled packaging system meeting specifications for
a unit load device (ULD).
BACKGROUND
[0002] A unit load device (ULD) is a pallet or container used to
load luggage, freight, mail or other types of cargo into wide-body
aircraft and into certain narrow-body aircraft. ULDs come in
standard sizes that may be compatible with the specific aircraft in
which they are loaded, and allow large quantities of cargo to be
bundled into a single unit. Consolidation of the cargo into the
ULDs leads to fewer individual units to load into the cargo area,
thereby saving ground crews time and effort, and helping to keep
flights on schedule. Typically, each ULD will have an accompanying
packing list or manifest that allows the contents of the ULD to be
tracked.
[0003] ULDs typically come in two forms: pallets and containers.
ULD pallets are rugged sheets of aluminum with rims designed to
lock onto cargo net lugs. The ULD pallets have fork openings for
receiving forks of forklifts or other cargo handling equipment to
move the ULDs onto and off of the aircraft. ULD containers, which
may be referred to as cans and pods, are closed containers
typically made of aluminum or a combination of a frame fabricated
from aluminum and walls fabricated from Lexan or other appropriate
polycarbonate material. Depending on the nature of the goods to be
transported, a ULD container may have a built-in refrigeration unit
for maintaining a specified temperature within the ULD
container.
[0004] The refrigeration units in presently known ULD containers
are active temperature control devices that operate to adjust the
temperature inside the ULD container to keep the internal
temperature within a specified temperature range. The active
temperature control devices are electrical cooling and heating
systems that operate in response to internal temperature sensors to
regulate the internal temperature. Such active temperature control
devices in ULD containers may be expensive and require routine
maintenance to manage the mechanical components. Failure of the
mechanical components can cause nearly immediate temperature
excursions and spoilage of the temperature-reliant cargo stored
therein, which can be particularly problematic for life saving
pharmaceutical products.
[0005] Passive temperature control solutions, on the other hand,
are insulated boxes or containers without any active temperature
control. Consequently, passive temperature control packaging does
not have systems to make temperature adjustments in response to
changes in the internal temperature of the container. Existing
passive temperature-controlled packaging solutions are not ULD
containers, and typically do not conform to the standard sizes
designated for ULD containers. The non-ULD containers are typically
loaded onto ULD pallets for consolidation with other packages.
Labor is required for the secondary step of positioning the passive
temperature-controlled non-ULD containers on the ULD pallets and
covering the non-ULD containers with cargo nets. This often leaves
open space that is not consumed by cargo but still incurs cargo
fees. The nonconformity of the passive temperature-controlled
packaging may require additional labor and handling for loading the
cargo onto aircraft, which can reduce aircraft loading efficiencies
and result in departure delays. Moreover, the non-uniform
containers may not have the same tracking capability and customs
clearances as the ULD containers, which can further increase
processing times through the air freight supply chain.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0006] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a container
suitable for use in a shipment of a cargo by air is disclosed. The
container may include a container body having a top wall, a bottom
wall, a front wall, a rear wall and oppositely disposed side walls,
wherein the container body defines a cargo space within the
container, and a passive temperature control system located within
the cargo space. The passive temperature control system may include
a plurality of insulation panels, wherein each of the plurality of
insulation panels is connected to an inner surface of a
corresponding wall of the container body, a rack proximate one of
the top wall and one of the oppositely disposed side walls, the
rack defining a slot, and a plurality of refrigerant bottles filled
with a thermal medium. The plurality of refrigerant bottles and the
thermal medium may be one of cooled and heated to a predetermined
temperature for the cargo being shipped in the container and
inserted into the slot of the rack to passively maintain a cargo
space temperature in the cargo space during the shipment of the
cargo.
[0007] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a container
suitable for use in a shipment of a cargo by air is disclosed. The
container may include a container body and a passive temperature
control system. The container body may have a top wall, a bottom
wall, a front wall, a rear wall and oppositely disposed side walls,
wherein the container body defines a cargo space within the
container, and wherein the container body may be fabricated as a
structure that is a compliant unit load device (ULD) container
meeting specified aviation authority structural requirements. The
passive temperature control system is located within the cargo
space and may have a plurality of insulation panels each connected
to an inner surface of a corresponding wall of the container body,
at least one rack proximate a corresponding one of the top wall and
the oppositely disposed side walls of the container body, and a
plurality of refrigerant bottles filled with a thermal medium and
received by the at least one rack to passively maintain a cargo
space temperature in the cargo space during the shipment of the
cargo.
[0008] In a further aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerant
bottle for a container suitable for use in a shipment of a cargo by
air is disclosed. The container may have an inner insulation layer
and a rack proximate an insulation panel of the inner insulation
layer and defining at least one slot. The refrigerant bottle may
include a reservoir body that is sized to be inserted into the at
least one slot of the rack, and a connection mechanism defined in
the reservoir body and configured to connect a plurality of
refrigerant bottles in series for insertion and removal of multiple
refrigerant bottles into and out of the at least on slot together.
The refrigerant bottle may be one of cooled and heated to a
predetermined temperature for the cargo being shipped in the
container and inserted into the slot of the rack to passively
maintain a cargo space temperature in a cargo space of the
container during the shipment of the cargo.
[0009] Additional aspects are defined by the claims of this
patent.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a container meeting ULD
specifications and having a passive temperature controlled
packaging system in accordance with the present disclosure;
[0011] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the container of FIG. 1 with
a door removed;
[0012] FIG. 3 is an exploded isometric view of a base plate and a
bottom insulation panel of the container of FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 4 is an exploded isometric view of the base plate of
FIG. 3;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a front view of racks and refrigerant bottles of
the container of FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of one of the racks
and corresponding refrigerant bottles of FIG. 5;
[0016] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a refrigerant bottle in
accordance with the present disclosure;
[0017] FIG. 8 is an isometric view of two of the refrigerant
bottles of FIG. 7 connected to each other;
[0018] FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a thermal break in accordance
with the present disclosure; and
[0019] FIG. 10 is an exploded isometric view of a pallet, a bottom
insulation panel and thermal breaks of the container of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a passive temperature-controlled
container 10 in the form of a ULD-compliant container for shipping
cargo by air as well as sea and land is disclosed. The container 10
may be made from composite materials to provide a damage resistant
container that is lighter than conventional metal ULDs. The
container 10 implements passive temperature control as illustrated
and described herein, but may incorporate integrated real-time data
capabilities, including internal and ambient temperature tracking
and geolocation information as discussed further below. The
container 10 may comprise a pallet 12 on which an outer enclosure
14 is mounted. A passive temperature control system 16 (FIG. 2) as
illustrated and described more fully below is installed within the
outer enclosure 14. The pallet 12 may be a standard ULD pallet
meeting the specifications for a particular type of ULD pallet. The
pallet 12 may be formed from aluminum or other appropriate
material, and may include a plurality of forklift holes 18 into
which forks of a forklift or implements of other material handling
equipment may be inserted to move the container 10.
[0021] In the illustrated embodiment, the pallet 12, the outer
enclosure 14 and a door 20 (i.e., container body) of the container
10 may be cubic and have dimensions that are compliant with
particular ULD container specifications. In this embodiment, the
container body designed and tested in accordance with specified
requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or other
appropriate national aviation authority to obtain certification for
safe transport of cargo. For example, the container body may be
designed and tested by a facility licensed with the aviation
authority to meet the requirements of an applicable technical
standards order (TSO), such as FAA TSO C90 for cargo pallets, nets
and containers which is incorporated by reference herein, and with
the test results scrutinized and accepted by the FAA or other
aviation authority for issuance of certification indicating that
the container body is a compliant ULD container.
[0022] In alternative embodiments, compliant and non-compliant ULD
containers in accordance with the present disclosure may have an
overall width that is larger than a base width depending on the
particular ULD container specifications to which the ULD container
is being constructed. The outer enclosure 14 as illustrated
includes a top wall, a rear wall and oppositely disposed side walls
that may be fabricated by thermoforming a plastic sheet using
thermoforming techniques known in the art to form the top, rear and
side walls as a single unitary component. The outer enclosure 14
may be thermoformed to add stiffness to the edges where the walls
intersect so that additional reinforcing framework may be
unnecessary. The outer enclosure 14 may be mounted to the pallet 12
and secured by appropriate attachment mechanisms (not show), such
as rivets, nuts and bolts, screws and anchors, and the like. The
door 20 may constitute a front wall of the outer enclosure 14 and
container body, and may be connected to a front edge of one of the
side walls by a hinge 22 to rotate between a closed position (FIG.
1) and an open position. The door 20 may have a latch mechanism 24
that secures the door 20 in the closed position. The latch
mechanism 24 may include a locking mechanism if necessary to
prevent pilferage of the cargo transported in the container 10. An
outer face of the door 20 may be formed from same plastic material
as the other walls of the outer enclosure 14, or may be formed from
other appropriate materials if necessary to meet structural,
operational and/or thermodynamic requirements for the container 10.
Once assembled, the pallet 12, the outer enclosure 14 and the door
20 define a cargo space 26 (FIG. 2) for holding cargo and the
passive temperature control elements of the container 10. The outer
enclosure 14 and the door 20 may be configured so that a thermal
seal is formed when the door 20 is closed to minimize heat transfer
across the interface between the cargo space 26 and the surrounding
environment.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 2, the passive temperature control system
16 is disposed within the cargo space 26 and is formed by an
insulation layer of insulation panels formed from insulating
material and other temperature control elements. In one embodiment,
the insulation panels of the passive temperature control system 16
are a composite structure formed of a vacuum insulated panel (VIP)
embedded in and surrounded by expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam.
The insulation panels correspond to the pallet 12, the walls of the
outer enclosure 14 and the door 20. Consequently, a bottom
insulation panel is attached to the top surface of the pallet 12,
top, rear and side insulation panels are mounted on the inner
surfaces of the top, bottom and side walls of the outer enclosure
14, respectively, and a door insulation panel is mounted on an
inner surface of the door 20. In one embodiment, the top, rear and
side panels are integrally formed as a unitary component. The
bottom insulation panel may also be included. In other embodiments,
the outer enclosure 14 and corresponding panels of the passive
temperature control system 16 may have a fully integrated
construction where the insulation panels are formed with the walls
and then the combined outer enclosure/inner insulation layer is
mounted on the pallet 12.
[0024] To provide structural stability and stiffness to the
internal structure of the cargo space 26, the container 10 and the
passive temperature control system 16 may include a baseplate 30
that will rest on top of a bottom insulation panel 32 as shown in
FIG. 3. The baseplate 30 may have a composite structure such as
that illustrated in FIG. 4. The baseplate 30 may include an upper
metal sheet 34, a lower metal sheet 36 and an internal core 38
sandwiched between the metal sheets 34, 36. The metal sheets 34, 36
may be fabricated from an appropriate metal, such as stainless
steel. The internal core 38 may be fabricated from a thermoplastic
polymer such as high density polyethylene (HDPE). The baseplate 30
may further include a sealant such as silicone applied to some or
all of the edges were the internal core 38 is exposed to retain
moisture within the internal core 38. The composite structure of
the baseplate 30 is designed to provide structural strength in the
cargo space 26 as well as minimizing heat transfer from the
exterior of the container 10. When the baseplate 30 is installed on
the bottom insulation panel 32, the baseplate 30 provides a durable
surface for placement of cargo in the cargo space 26.
[0025] Within the passive temperature control system 16 is a rack
system (FIGS. 2, 5 and 6) that will hold passive temperature
control elements in the form of refrigerant bottles 40 (FIGS. 2 and
5-8). The rack system may include a top rack 42 proximate the top
insulation panel, and side racks 44 proximate corresponding side
insulation panels. Each of the racks 42 may have a similar
construction. A plurality of parallel slats 46 are disposed on
either side of the racks 42, 44. Upper U-shaped tracks 48 and lower
U-shaped tracks 50 are perpendicular to and separate the slats 46
on either side of the racks 42, 44. The upper tracks 48 are
oriented with their channels open downward, and the lower tracks 50
are oriented with their channels facing upward so that the slats 46
and the tracks 48, 50 define a plurality of slots that will receive
one or more of the refrigerant bottles 40.
[0026] The refrigerant bottles 40 are illustrated in greater detail
in FIGS. 7 and 8. Referring to FIG. 7, the refrigerant bottle 40
has a hollow reservoir body 52 that forms a rigid or semi-rigid
enclosure for a thermal medium such as water or an appropriate
phase change material such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.
8,443,623 and 9,376,605. The thermal medium may be added through a
fill port that is covered by a removable fill 54. The reservoir
body 52 has a width that is less than a width between the slats 46,
and a height that is less than a distance spacing the corresponding
tracks 48, 50 the form one of the slots. An upper shoulder 56 and a
lower shoulder 58 extend from top and bottom edges of the reservoir
body 52, respectively, and are dimensioned so that the upper
shoulder 56 is received into the channel of the upper track 48 and
the lower shoulder 58 is received into the channel of the lower
track 50 to guide the refrigerant bottle 40 into the slot.
[0027] The refrigerant bottles 40 may further include features to
facilitate loading and unloading multiple bottles 40 in each slot.
In the illustrated embodiment, a connection mechanism for adjacent
refrigerant bottles 40 is formed by one or more bottle tabs 60 may
extend outward at one end of the reservoir body 52, and a
corresponding number of bottle sockets 62 may be defined in the
opposite end of the reservoir body 52. The bottle tabs 60 and the
bottle sockets 62 are configured to interlock as shown in FIG. 8 so
that connected refrigerant bottles 40 will move together into an
out of the slots. The refrigerant bottles 40 may further be
configured with handles 64 defined therein that may be grasped by a
cargo handler that is loading or unloading the container 10.
[0028] Returning to FIGS. 5 and 6, the racks 42, 44 may be
connected to each other to form a unitary structure. Corner rails
70 may be connected to ends of adjacent racks 42, 44. Base rails 72
may be attached at bottom ends of the side racks 44. Separation of
the racks 42, 44 from the pallet 12 may be desirable to minimize
heat transfer between the internal and external structures. Such
separation may be achieved with thermal breaks 80 as shown in FIG.
9. Each thermal break 80 may have a break body 82 with 3 downward
extending break feet 84 and at least one upward extending break
shoulder 86. The number of break feet 84 and break shoulders 86 in
the illustrated embodiment is exemplary, and the thermal break 80
may be configured as necessary to provide support for the racks 42,
44.
[0029] The bottom insulation panel 32 may include corresponding
break holes 88 (FIGS. 3 and 10) there through that are sized to
receive the thermal breaks 80. The baseplate 30 may also have
corresponding break notches 90 through which at least the break
shoulders 86 may extend upward. An overall height of the thermal
breaks 80 may be greater than a combined thickness of the baseplate
30 and the bottom insulation panel 32 one assembled. With this
configuration, the break feet 84 may rest on a top surface 92 of
the pallet 12, and extends through the break holes 88 and the break
notches 90. The racks 44 may then sit on the break shoulders 86 and
be spaced above the baseplate 30 and the bottom insulation panel
32. The thermal breaks 80 may be fabricated from a thermally
insulating polymeric to minimize heat transfer there through while
simultaneously having sufficient strength to withstand the
anticipated loading of the racks 42, 44 and the filled refrigerant
bottles 40. The illustrated embodiment includes 4 thermal breaks
80, but fewer or more may be used as necessary to support the racks
42, 44 and the refrigerant bottles 40.
[0030] While temperature control within the container 10 is a
passive system, the container 10 may still include active elements
for monitoring and tracking of the container 10. Consequently, the
container 10 may include an onboard telemetry device (not shown)
that provides worldwide communication for location tracking and
condition monitoring. Temperature, along with the humidity,
pressure, light, shock, tilt, door position, latch status and other
parameters may be monitored via appropriate sensors. The
information from the telemetry system may provide visibility
allowing customers to drive risk out of transport of temperature
dependent cargo through the air freight supply chain.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0031] The containers 10 in accordance with the present disclosure
may be effective to reliably transport temperature sensitive cargo.
At the time of packing, the refrigerant bottles 40 and the thermal
medium therein may be cooled or warmed to a desired temperature.
The bottle tabs 60 and the bottle sockets 62 of adjacent bottles 40
may be interlocked so that multiple bottles 40 can be inserted into
the slots in the racks 42, 44. After the cargo is loaded, the door
20 may be closed to passively yet reliably maintain a necessary
temperature within the cargo space 26 during transit. After arrival
and unloading of the cargo from the container 10, the front bottles
40 may be grasped by the handles 64 to pull the connected bottles
40 from the slots so they can be heated or cooled to the
appropriate temperature for a subsequent shipment.
[0032] The passive temperature-controlled container 10 in the form
of a ULD container, in contrast to previously known non-ULD passive
temperature-controlled containers, more easily moves through the
air freight supply chain, thereby reducing labor and handling
requirements, reducing deliver time and flight delays, and
increasing aircraft yield. Additionally, the passive
temperature-controlled container 10 has many fewer failure paths
that can cause changes in temperature within the container 10 that
can cause spoilage of temperature-sensitive cargo being transported
therein.
[0033] While the preceding text sets forth a detailed description
of numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the
legal scope of protection is defined by the words of the claims set
forth at the end of this patent. The detailed description is to be
construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible
embodiment since describing every possible embodiment would be
impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments
could be implemented, using either current technology or technology
developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still
fall within the scope of the claims defining the scope of
protection.
[0034] It should also be understood that, unless a term was
expressly defined herein, there is no intent to limit the meaning
of that term, either expressly or by implication, beyond its plain
or ordinary meaning, and such term should not be interpreted to be
limited in scope based on any statement made in any section of this
patent (other than the language of the claims). To the extent that
any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is
referred to herein in a manner consistent with a single meaning,
that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the
reader, and it is not intended that such claim term be limited, by
implication or otherwise, to that single meaning.
* * * * *