Search

US-12623830-B2 - System suitable for storing and/or transporting temperature-sensitive materials

US12623830B2US 12623830 B2US12623830 B2US 12623830B2US-12623830-B2

Abstract

System suitable for storing and/or transporting temperature-sensitive materials. In a preferred embodiment, the system may include a cooler made of expanded polystyrene foam. The cooler may include a base and a lid. The base may be a unitary structure that includes a cavity bounded by a bottom wall and four side walls. The base also may include an integral support that may include a platform elevated from the bottom wall, as well as a stanchion extending upwardly from the bottom wall along each of the side walls. The support may be constructed to removably receive a product box in the cavity and to orient the product box at an angle offset from the cavity. Dry ice pellets may be positioned around and under the product box, and additional dry ice pellets may be positioned in a tray mounted on the stanchions over the product box.

Inventors

  • James Nilsen
  • Lucine Michelle Sabounjian
  • Mark Fontes
  • Ali Moghaddas

Assignees

  • COLD CHAIN TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20221220

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A system suitable for storing and/or transporting temperature-sensitive materials, the system comprising: (a) an insulated container, the insulated container comprising a plurality of walls, the plurality of walls being molded together and collectively defining a cavity and a support, the cavity comprising a bottom surface having a set of diametrically opposed corners, the support being constructed to removably receive a product box in the cavity and to orient the product box in the cavity at an angle rotationally offset from the cavity, the support being positioned within the cavity and comprising a platform, the platform being elevated relative to the bottom surface of the cavity and being oriented diagonally in a direction extending between the set of diametrically opposed corners; and (b) the product box for holding the temperature-sensitive materials, the product box being removably seated on the platform in the cavity of the insulated container, wherein the insulated container further comprises a shelf bounding, in part, the cavity, the shelf sloping inwardly and angling downwardly towards an interior portion of the cavity moving from an exterior edge of the shelf to an interior edge of the shelf, the interior edge of the shelf being positioned higher than an entirety of the product box.
  2. 2 . The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the insulated container comprises a base and wherein the plurality of walls comprises a bottom wall of the base and four side walls of the base.
  3. 3 . The system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the base is made of an insulating foam.
  4. 4 . The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the insulating foam is an expanded polystyrene foam.
  5. 5 . The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support further comprises four stanchions, wherein the four stanchions are disposed within the cavity and extend upwardly from the bottom surface of the cavity, with two of the four stanchions located on opposite sides of one of the diametrically opposed corners and with another two of the four stanchions located on opposite sides of the other one of the diametrically opposed corners, and wherein the product box is seated directly on the platform.
  6. 6 . The system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the platform is shaped to include a top surface and at least one side surface, wherein the at least one side surface includes at least one concave recess, and wherein the at least one concave recess is at least partially positioned directly under the product box.
  7. 7 . The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support is oriented so that the angle rotationally offset from the cavity is approximately 45 degrees.
  8. 8 . The system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the product box is shaped to have four corner edges and wherein each of the four stanchions is shaped to removably receive a different one of the four corner edges of the product box.
  9. 9 . The system as claimed in claim 8 wherein each of the four stanchions has a top end and wherein the top ends of the stanchions are substantially flush with a top surface of the product box.
  10. 10 . The system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the platform is shaped to include a top surface and wherein at least one recess is provided in the top surface of the platform.
  11. 11 . The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support and the product box divide at least a portion of the cavity into four distinct subcavities.
  12. 12 . The system as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a quantity of phase-change material disposed in each of the four distinct subcavities.
  13. 13 . The system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the phase-change material comprises dry ice pellets.
  14. 14 . The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a tray for holding phase-change material, the tray being removably received in the cavity.
  15. 15 . The system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the tray is seated on top of the support.
  16. 16 . The system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the tray comprises a bottom, four sides, and two handles, wherein the two handles function as top flaps, each handle having an opening and a free end, and wherein the two handles are mateable with one another by inserting the free end of one handle into the opening of the other handle or vice versa.
  17. 17 . The system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the insulated container further comprises a lid, the lid being removably mounted on the base to close the cavity.
  18. 18 . The system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the base comprises a shelf that slopes inwardly and downwardly away from each of the plurality of walls towards an opposing one of the plurality of walls, wherein the shelf has an interior edge that is positioned higher than an entirety of the product box, and wherein the lid comprises a plug, the plug having a sloped bottom surface that mates with the shelf.
  19. 19 . The system as claimed in claim 17 further comprising a data logger, wherein the data logger comprises a main body and a cord terminating in a probe, and wherein the lid comprises a top surface having a recess for removably receiving the main body of the data logger.
  20. 20 . The system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the top surface of the lid further comprises at least one channel perpendicular to the recess to provide an air gap that allows for air flow around the main body of the data logger.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/291,503, inventors James Nilsen et al., filed Dec. 20, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to systems suitable for storing and/or transporting temperature-sensitive materials and relates more particularly to a novel system suitable for storing and/or transporting temperature-sensitive materials. There is a continuing need for systems that can maintain temperature-sensitive materials within a desired temperature range for an extended period of time. For example, many pharmaceuticals, biological materials, medical devices, foods, beverages, and other temperature-sensitive materials must be maintained within a particular temperature range (such as, for example, −90° C. to −60° C.; −25° C. to −15° C.; +2° C. to +8° C.; +15° C. to +25° C.) in order to prevent the spoilage of such materials. As can readily be appreciated, the maintenance of such materials within a desired temperature range while such materials are being transported and/or stored can be challenging. One way in which such temperature maintenance may be achieved is by transporting and/or storing such materials in active temperature-control devices, such as electrically-powered refrigeration units or the like. However, as can be appreciated, such active temperature-control devices add considerable expense to transportation and/or storage costs. An alternative approach to temperature maintenance during transportation and/or storage is to place the temperature-sensitive materials within an insulated container that also contains one or more passive temperature-control members, such as, but not limited to, ice packs, gel packs, dry ice, wet ice, or the like. In some cases, such as where the passive temperature-control member is an ice pack or a gel pack, the passive temperature-control member typically comprises a quantity of a phase-change material (PCM) disposed within a suitable casing or container. In other cases, such as where the passive temperature-control member is dry ice or wet ice, the passive temperature-control member may be loose within the insulated container. Often, the temperature-sensitive materials are housed within a product box (sometimes alternatively referred to as “a payload box”) that, in turn, is housed within the insulated container. The product box, which is typically made of a corrugated cardboard or similar material, is typically shaped to have four sides, a top, and a bottom defining a uniform rectangular prismatic cavity. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,868,982 B2, inventor Gordon, which issued Mar. 22, 2005, and which is incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed an insulated shipping container and method of making the same. In a preferred embodiment, the insulated shipping container comprises an outer box, an insulated insert, an inner box and a closure member. The outer box, which is preferably made of corrugated fiberboard, comprises a rectangular prismatic cavity bounded by a plurality of rectangular side walls, a closed bottom end, and top closure flaps. The insulated insert is snugly, but removably, disposed within the outer box and is shaped to define a rectangular prismatic cavity bounded by a bottom wall and a plurality of rectangular side walls, the insulated insert having an open top end. The insulated insert is made of a foamed polyurethane body to which on all sides, except its bottom, a thin, flexible, unfoamed polymer bag is integrally bonded. The bag is a unitary structure having a generally uniform rectangular shape, the bag being formed by sealing shut one end of a tubular member with a transverse seam and forming longitudinal creases extending from opposite ends of the seam. The inner box, which is snugly, but removably, disposed within the insert, is preferably made of corrugated fiberboard and is shaped to include a rectangular prismatic cavity bounded by a plurality of rectangular side walls and a closed bottom end, the top end thereof being open. The closure member is a thick piece of foam material snugly, but removably, disposed in the open end of the inner box. Documents that may be of interest may include the following, all of which are incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. No. 11,511,928 B2 inventors Rizzo et al., which issued Nov. 29, 2022; U.S. Pat. No. 11,499,770 B2, inventors Rizzo et al., which issued Nov. 15, 2022; U.S. Pat. No. 11,472,625 B2, inventor Mirzaee Kakhki, which issued Oct. 18, 2022; U.S. Pat. No. 11,340,005 B2, inventors Nilsen et al., which issued May 24, 2022; U.S. Pat. No. 11,137,190 B2, inventor Martino, which issued Oct. 5, 2021; U.S. Pat. No. 10,962,270 B2, inventors Jain et al., which issued Mar. 30, 2021; U.S. Pat. No. 10,766,685 B2, inventors Kuhn et al., which issued Sep. 8, 2020; U.S. Pat. No. 10,661,969