Collapsible storage units for transportation

Abstract

A storage device comprising a hollow body 60 and a lid 10. The walls (fig 3, 64) of the body are configured to be collapsible. The lid comprises a temperature control system to allow the user to monit

Description

Background The claimed invention relates to a storage system for transporting cargo. In a lot of industries, there is a requirement to move cargo over long distances, whether the cargo is equipment, raw materials, or refined products. When transporting such cargo there is a need to ensure the cargo is transported in large volumes. Therefore, it is common for such materials to be transported by large vehicles like lorries, trucks, and cargo planes. In aviation the handling of passenger baggage requires lots of work and huge handling systems, requiring huge amounts of labour and investments. A problem that occurs during this process is that some of the materials being transported have to be kept at certain temperatures. This is a particular problem when the item being transported have to be kept at cool or freezing temperatures. In such cases, specialized transport vehicles are needed, such as lorries and trucks with refrigerated units. The problem with such units is that they use a lot of energy to keep the inside of the large transport vehicle at the required temperature, thereby increasing the fuel used by the vehicle which increases the amount of pollution caused by transporting the materials. Further, some vehicles like aircraft may not be modified to have the specialized units required to heat or refrigerate the cargo being transported. Therefore, there is a need to provide a system that can keep cargo at a required temperature that requires little energy and may be implemented in a wide range of vehicles without the need for specialized equipment. Further, in recent times that has been an increase in the number of people who are using air travel, such as commercial flights or private aircraft, we are reaching a point where people may use such vehicles for local travel as well as long-distance travel. In such cases, the people using these aircraft may require a means of transporting materials such as groceries and other items that need to be stored at specific temperatures, whether the items need to be heated or refrigerated. The problem is that these aircraft have limited storage space and would likely not have the specialized temperature-controlling units described above. By making it possible to fold the containers, 6 or 7 containers can be transported in the place of one, while being distributed to the location where they actually are needed. Therefore, there is also a need for a system that provides temperature-controlled storage for cargo in small vehicles, therefore the system needs to be scalable and suitable for small and personal aircraft. Because in container logistics the distribution of empty containers to locations where they are needed, is a huge cost for the operator. By having each empty container folded, 6 to 7 containers can be distributed instead of one. In aviation handling of baggage is another sectorthat needs improvement. Ground handling take lots of manual labour, often taking a considerable toll on muscles and joints of the ground crew. Handling the baggage is time consuming, forcing passengers to wait for the checked-in luggage while it is being processed in huge, expensive plants at the terminal. Regardless how advanced and expensive these baggage handling systems are, there is always pieces of luggage being misplaced, at considerable cost for the operator and considerable grievance for the passenger. By this system, the process can be like this: Passenger checks in their baggage. It passes mandatory security control and is placed in the container. Container is brought to the aircraft and inserted - MECHANICALLY - into the cargo hold. No fatigue on the ground personnel. After landing, the container (that has already been checked by security) is brought directly into the passenger arrival area, and passengers can pick up their baggage a short time after cabin doors have been opened. This will save costs for the operator, save body fatigue on the ground personnel and time for the passenger. Summary The claimed invention provides a storage unit configured to be used in the transportation of goods. More specifically the claimed invention provides a storage unit that may be utilized in a vehicle such as an aircraft or a lorry to transport items over a long distance. It is noted that the claimed storage units would comprise a means of temperature regulating the volume within the unit, thereby allowing items to be stored at a required temperature. This may be used for example to keep perishables at or below freezing temperatures to ensure they do not degrade over the journey. It is also noted that these claimed storage units are configured to be collapsible allowing the units to take up less space within the vehicle when the units are empty. This can make the transporting of the units easier. Further, the temperature-controlled units allow for an improved storage system for cargo traveling long distances. As stated, the present invention provides a storage unit that is both temperature-controlled and collapsible. Wherein each of the storage units comprises two parts a hollow body that is open on one side, and a lid or cover, which attaches to the open side of the body to seal the volume inside the body. In the case of the claimed units, the lid would comprise a flat ridged structure, wherein the edges of the structure comprise a raised wall or lip, which extends out of the plane of the flat structure. This lip along the edge of the lid is configured to cover the edges of the open side of the body, thereby ensuring that the storage unit is airtight when it is sealed as the lip covers the gap between the body and the lip. The edge of the lid proximate to the lip may comprise features to further ensure that the gap between the lid and body is sealed, such as a rubber seal along the edge of the lid. Alternatively, the edges of the lid may include coupling features that help to secure the lid to the body, such as a plurality of clips configured to grip the edges of the body or a plurality of protrusions or apertures that couple to the corresponding feature on the body. In the preferred embodiment, the lid would comprise a rubber seal around the edge of the lip to ensure the unit is airtight, while the lip is configured to be ridged and would act as a clip gripping onto the sides of the body to secure the lid in place. The lid of the unit would further comprise one or more temperature control features, which can be used to control the temperature inside the sealed storage unit. This temperature control feature may include a radiator for heating the inside of the unit, or a refrigeration unit configured to cool the inside of the unit. Preferably the unit would comprise both to allow the unit to maintain a wider range of temperatures and to allow the unit to actively increase and decrease the temperature inside the unit when necessary. The temperature control feature may further comprise one or more fans which may be used to circulate the hot or cold air within the unit to ensure a uniform temperature throughout the inside the unit. It is noted that the lid of the storage unit would also comprise a temperature control system configured to control the temperature control features described above. Wherein the control system is coupled to each of one or more temperature control features, such that the system may control the output of each feature. The system would also comprise a control mounted to the outside of the lid to allow the user to set what temperature should be maintained within the storage unit. The control system would also comprise one or more temperature sensors, which may be mounted to the lid or body of the storage unit, wherein the sensors are configured to monitor the temperature inside the unit and feed data back to the controller to ensure the desired temperature is met. And if the desired temperature is not met the controller is configured to adjust the output of the temperature control features to increase or decrease the temperature inside the unit to the desired value. The control system may also be coupled to a display on the outside of the lid or storage unit. This display would indicate to the user the temperature measured by the sensors within the storage unit. It is noted that the storage unit also include one or more other sensors which monitor the content of the storage unit, such as weight sensors or cameras, with the information from these sensors also being displayed on the display of the unit. The display may be configured to allow the user to choose which information is displayed at any time. The display may also be configured to have a sleep mode to conserve power. In the preferred embodiment, the display would comprise a touchscreen display, as such a display can provide the functionality of both the display and the controller of the storage unit. The lid of the storage system may also comprise a power source, such as a battery and / or solar panel, for powering the display and temperature control system. In some cases, the storage unit may comprise a cable that may be coupled to an external power source to power the unit, for example, the cable may couple to the vehicle to use the vehicle’s engine or battery as a power source. The storage unit preferably includes both an internal power source, such as a battery, and a cable for coupling to the vehicle, this way the unit may use the vehicle’s power source to recharge the battery. In addition to the lid as described above each storage unit would comprise a hollow body for storing the desired material to be transported. It is noted that these units would preferably be airtight to ensure that the temperature within the storage unit can be maintained at the desired temperature. Further, it is important that the walls of the body are made from an insulating material, or at least coated with an insulating material on the inside of the body to prevent the unit’s surroundings from affecting the temperature within the storage unit. By using such a body with the lid described above the user can ensure the content of the storage unit remains at the desired temperature while being transported. A key feature of the claimed storage unit is that the hollow body is configured to be collapsible. More specifically, the walls of the body by being folded or collapsed, to flatten the body of the storage unit. It is noted that the flatted body would be configured to attach to the lid in the same way as the raised body to create a flat unit that can be easily stored within a vehicle when not in use. additionally, these flattened units can be stacked to allow for multiple units to be stored easily, and to reduce the space within the vehicle occupied by the units when the storage units are not in use. In the preferred embodiment of the folding mechanism, each of the side walls of the storage unit would be configured to fold along the edge coupled to the base of the body. This would allow the walls of the body to fold outwards forming a flat net of the body. Once flattened the user may fold the wall of the body over or under the base of the body one at a time to form a more compact flat shape. Once the net has been folded in this manner the lid may be coupled to the flattened body by placing the lid over the base of the body, using the lip at the edge of the lid to hold the folded flat body together. This collapses the storage unit into a flat storage form which can be easily stacked and stored within a transport vehicle when not in use. It is noted that in this embodiment, the edges of the side walls would include features that can releasable couple the side walls together when the storage unit is constructed. These features may include zips, fasteners, or other suitable means for coupling the edges of the side walls together. The side walls may also include lips that cover the seam between the side walls, to prevent the air inside the body from escaping, or interacting with the surrounding air, to help prevent temperature changes in the storage unit. It is noted that other methods may be used to collapse the sides of the storage units. For example, in the claimed invention each of the walls include a hinge on the wall, for example in the center of the walls that allow the walls to fold in half, this is in addition to folding at the base, allowing each of the walls to collapse. The sides of the storage unit may also comprise a plurality of concentric segments which can be used to raise and collapse the storage unit sides, like a telescopic cylinder. However, the folding sides using hinges as described above are the most preferable, as it is the simplest design, additionally, the preferred structure can have a body with taller sides and still produce a flat structure when the body is collapsed as described above. By using a storage unit as described above a user can have an alternative to refrigerated vehicles which can be expensive to operate, by using a plurality of storage units that are each temperature controlled. Further, the claimed units are collapsible means that the user can easily store the units in a transport vehicle, with the units occupying little space when not in use; thereby allowing a user to have temperature-controlled storage in any vehicle by placing one or more of the claimed units within the body or hull of the vehicle. It is noted that these units are easily scalable allowing them to be provided in a range of different sizes to 5 suit the user’s needs. Detailed description The claimed invention is illustrated in the following figures: Figure 1: depicts the structure of the storage unit lid. Figure 2: depicts the storage unit in both the raised mode and the collapsed mode. Figure 3: depicts one means by which the sides of the unit can be collapsed and folded to form a collapsed mode. Figure 4: depicts how the claimed units could be stored in a vehicle. The invention depicted in the Figures comprises the following features, please note that like features are represented by like reference numerals: 10-lid 12-lid lip 20 - rubber seal 30 - temperature control feature 32 - fan 40 - internal battery 50 - display 52 - controls 60 - unit body 62 - body base 64 - side walls 70 - vehicle The claimed invention provides a collapsible storage unit suitable for use inside a vehicle. Wherein the storage unit is configured to provide a temperature-controlled environment inside the storage unit when in use. And when not in use, is configured to collapse down into a smaller volume for ease of storage and to reduce the space in the vehicle occupied by the unused unit. These units would comprise two parts the body which is configured to be removing the battery 40 from the lid 10 is the most preferable, as it reduces the amount of maintenance required and may allow the battery of the unit to be recharge in transit or when in storage. As for the feature used to recharge the battery 40, a solar panel may be preferable as the power cable would derive power from the vehicle which may drain the vehicle’s battery or require the vehicle to burn more fuel. Though it is noted that the cable would allow the battery to recharge while in use or when stored within a vehicle, the solar panels would require the unit to be in direct sunlight, and therefore would likely not work inside a vehicle while the unit is in use. therefore, the external power cable would be more reliable. In some cases, the unit lid 10 may comprise both, a solar panel for passive recharging, and a power cable for emergencies or during longer journeys. The temperature control system inside the lid 10, would also comprise a control system, which would couple to controls 52 mounted to the outside of the unit, preferably to the outside of the lid so that the entire temperature control system would be mounted to the lid, as noted this would prevent wear or damage to the system when the walls of the body 60 collapses when the unit is not in use. wherein the controls 52 are configured to control the temperature control features 30 within the lid 10. Specifically, the controls 52 may increase or decrease the temperature within the body 60 using the temperature control system. These control systems would further comprise one or more sensors mounted to the inside of the lid 10 or body 60 which are configured to monitor the temperature inside of the unit and feed that data back to the control system to ensure the temperature is at the desired value as set by the controls 52. In some cases, controls 52 may comprise buttons or other suitable control mounted to the unit, while in some cases, the controls may comprise an external controller which can be coupled to each unit to adjust the temperature of the connected unit, alternatively, the controls may be in the form of an application which can connect to the units remotely, allowing the user to control the units during transit from their seat inside the vehicle, this may be useful if the vehicle is an aircraft or ship where the cargo is stored in a separate section of the vehicle which the user is not permitted to access. The preferable form of the controls 52 would be a combination of the manual controls mounted to the lid 10 as these would have these controls would have less risk of failing, in combination with the app controls which would provide more convenience as it allows the user to control the units remotely. The control system may also comprise a display 50 mounted to the outside of the lid 10. The display would indicate the temperature inside the unit, allowing the user to monitor the temperature. Further, the display may show other information related to the storage unit, such as the amount of battery power remaining or if the batteries are charging, the control system comprises one or more further sensors, which monitor different aspects of the unit, such as the unit’s weight or the light level inside the unit, with the data from these sensors being fed back to the control system. Further, the unit may comprise a camera for monitoring the content of the unit or a security sensor for detecting if the lid of the unit has been opened. Such information may also be displayed on the unit’s display 50. It is also noted that if the unit utilises a remote-control system, such as a mobile device or the app described above, then the display of the mobile device would function as the display 50, showing the user the information from the various sensors. The control system may also be configured to send alerts to the user via the display 50, to indicate when the unit has been opened, when the power of the battery 40 falls below a threshold, or when there is an unexpected temperature change within the unit. It is noted that the preferred embodiment of the invention would include a touchscreen display that would comprise the functionality of both the manual controls 52 and the display 50 in a single device. This touchscreen display would also be configured to connect to mobile devices, such as the user’s mobile phone or a suitable mobile device to allow the user to operate the control system remotely. Figure 2 depicts the complete unit comprising the lid 10 from Figure 1 coupled to a body 60. It is noted that the body is hollow to provide a volume that can be used to store cargo, and is open on one side to access this volume, with the lid 10 being configured to cover and seal the open side of the body 60. It is noted that the body 60 is configured to be collapsible, in this case, collapsible refers to how the walls 64 of the body 60 can be actuated to reduce or remove the volume within the unit. This way, the unit can comprise two different modes as shown in Figure 2, a raised mode and a collapsed mode. In the raised mode the walls 64 of the unit are erected, raising out of the plane of the unit’s base 62, thereby creating a hollow volume within the body. In this mode, the user can place and store cargo within the body during transport. As noted above, the volume within the body 60 would be temperature controlled by the systems mounted to the lid 10. Therefore, it is necessary that the body 60 be thermally insulated, this may be achieved by making the lid 10 and body 60 out of an insulated material or by including an insulating layer on the inside surface of both the lid 10 and body 60. In the collapsed mode, the walls 64 of the body 60 have been folded to flatten the body, or at least reduce the size of the volume within the body 60. This mode is used to reduce the size of the unit for storage when the unit is not in use. As the user will want to waste as little space as possible within the transport vehicle, it is preferable to have the size of the body 60 in this mode be as small as possible. Therefore, it is preferable to have the collapsed body the control system may comprise further sensors, which monitor different aspects of the unit such as the unit’s weight, or the light level inside the unit, with the data from these sensors being fed back to the control system. Further, the unit may comprise a camera for monitoring the content of the unit, or a security sensor for detecting if the lid of the unit has been opened. Such information may also be displayed on the unit’s display 50. It is also noted that if the unit utilizes a remote-control system, such as a mobile device or the app described above, then the display of the mobile device would function as the display 50, showing the user the information from the various sensors. The control system may also be configured to send alerts to the user via the display 50, to indicate when the unit has been opened when the power of the battery 40 falls below a threshold, or when there is an unexpected temperature change within the unit. It is noted that the preferred embodiment of the invention would include a touchscreen display that would comprise the functionality of both the manual controls 52 and the display 50 in a single device. This touchscreen display would also be configured to connect to mobile devices, such as the user’s mobile phone or a suitable mobile device to allow the user to operate the control system remotely. Figure 2 depicts the complete unit comprising the lid 10 from Figure 1 coupled to a body 60. It is noted that the body is hollow to provide a volume that can be used to store cargo, and is open on one side to access this volume, with the lid 10 being configured to cover and seal the open side of the body 60. It is noted that the body 60 is configured to be collapsible, in this case, collapsible refers to how the walls 64 of the body 60 can be actuated to reduce or remove the volume within the unit. This way the unit can comprise two different modes as shown in Figure 2, a raised mode and a collapsed mode. In the raised mode the walls 64 of the unit are erected, raising out of the plane of the unit’s base 62, thereby creating a hollow volume within the body. In this mode, the user can place and store cargo within the body during transport. As noted above the volume within the body 60 would be temperature controlled by the systems mounted to the lid 10. Therefore it is necessary that the body 60 be thermally insulated, this may be achieved by making the lid 10 and body 60 out of an insulated material or by including an insulating layer on the inside surface of both the lid 10 and body 60. In the collapsed mode the walls 64 of the body 60 have been folded to flatten the body, or at least reduce the size of the volume within the body 60. This mode is used to reduce the size of the unit for storage when the unit is not in use. As the user will want to waste as little space as possible within the transport vehicle it is preferable to have the size of the body 60 in this mode be as small as possible. Therefore, it is preferable to have the collapsed body fold completely flat, or as close to flat as possible. Also, note that in this mode the body 60 can still be coupled to the lid 10. Except in this mode, the lid 10 would not be sealing the volume of the body, but instead would hold the folded body in place and prevents the walls 64 of the body from unfolding. To achieve this the lip 12 of the lid 10 would be configured to couple to the base 62 of the unit, with the lid 10 covering the folded walls 64. It is also noted that the units in both modes would be configured to stack on top of each other, allowing the user to store more units within a single vehicle, especially when the units are in the collapsed mode. Figure 3 depicts an example mechanism for converting the storage unit from the raised mode to the collapsed mode. In this example, each of the walls 64 are configured to fold at the edge where the wall 64 is coupled to the base 62. This allows the user to fold the walls 64 of the body 60 outwards to form a flat net as shown in the left image. Then the user may fold the walls 64 one at a time onto the base 62 to form the collapsed mode for the body 60. Once all of the walls are folded in this way, the user can place the lid 10 over the folded walls 64, securing the lip 12 to the base 62 to prevent the walls 64 from unfolding. In this example, the edges of the walls 64 would further comprise features to releasably couple the edges of adjacent walls together. These features may include zips, securing brackets, or any other suitable fastening means. It is noted that regardless of the fastening means chosen the walls of the unit may further comprise a lip for covering the seam or gap between the walls when the unit is in the raised mode, and / or comprise a seal along the edges of the walls 64, to ensure the body 60 is airtight, thereby thermally isolating the volume inside the body 60 from its surroundings. Please note that the mechanism depicted in Figure 3 is only one example of how the unit could be converted between the modes depicted in Figure 2. The claimed mechanisms includes each of the walls 64 comprising a hinge that allows the walls 64 to fold in half, in addition to folding along their bottom edge, wherein the walls can be folded inwards at both the hinge and the bottom edge to form the collapsed mode. Further, the user can use the hinges to form an intermediate mode when the size of the body is reduced but is not completely flat when there is less cargo to be stored. In another mechanism, the walls 64 may comprise a series of concentric segments which are coupled together to form a collapsible structure similar to a telescopic cylinder. Each additional segment creates further intermediate stages as the user may collapse one or more segments, without fully collapsing the body 60. However, of these mechanisms, the one depicted in Figure 3 is preferable, as it is the simplest method to implement, requiring fewer moving parts. Additionally, the other mechanisms require the body to have more seams, or gaps where the moving parts meet, meaning these other units have a higher risk of forming cold bridges where the air inside the unit can escape through the body 60, causing the unit to conduct heat from the surrounding air. Figure 4 depicts an example of how the claimed storage units may be stored within a vehicle. In this case, the vehicle referenced throughout this application may refer to any suitable vehicle with a volume that could contain one or more units, such as a car, a heavy goods vehicle (HGV), a boat, a train, or an aircraft. The depicted example shows that the units can be stored within the vehicle by placing them within a suitable hollow space, such as within a hull or container unit. Inside this space, the units can be stacked with the base 62 of one unit being placed over the lid 10 of another. This stacking of the units can be achieved in both the raised mode and the collapsed mode as shown in the figure. It is also noted that the units may be secured to the sides of the vehicle with a suitable strap, or bracket. Further, it is noted that the base of the units would be flat, and may not include wheels to reduce the risk of the storage unit sliding when the vehicle is in motion. This may be preferable, especially, in smaller vehicles such as cars and personal aircraft, as the user would likely need to fold down the seat of the vehicle to create space for the unit, such flat bases would not wear or damage the seats the unit is placed over. Do note that the units may still comprise small bearings on the base to make the unit easier to move, especially when filled with cargo. It is noted that the storage unit is configured primarily for use in an aircraft. Specifically, the units are designed to carry passenger cargo within an aircraft. As the standard size for the cargo hold within aircraft has a maximum width estimated to be 210 cm, it is preferable for the unit to have dimensions smaller than this, especially as the user would want to fit multiple storage units within the same vehicle. Therefore, there is a compromise between having a unit small enough to fit within the vehicle, while also having as much storage space as possible within the unit. Additionally, the user would want the unit to be accessible when in transit, to check the cargo, and to use the controls of the unit. To meet these requirements, it is preferable for the unit to have measurements of 66x66x198cm. though more preferable would have measurements of 65x65x195 cm, as this smaller size still provides sufficient storage space, while allowing easier access to the unit due to the smaller size leaving more space for users to move around the unit. Also, when an aircraft or ship containing these units are in motion the unit is at risk of moving with the vehicle, due to turbulence in the air, or waves hitting the ship. Therefore, it is preferable for the unit body 60 to comprise features that could be used to secure the unit to the vehicle. In particular, one or more walls 64 of the body 60 would comprise a hole configured to receive an arrester hook mounted to the wall of the vehicle to hold the unit in place. Further, the base 62 of the unit may comprise one or more tracks configured to couple to a corresponding rail within the vehicle, note that this rail may be a removable set-up rail specific to the unit. Wherein the unit would be configured to move along the rail via the track, thereby limiting the movements of the unit through the aircraft based on the position of the 5 rail. By using the storage units described above, the user can store and transport temperaturesensitive cargo in any chosen vehicle without the need for specialized vehicles. Further, the collapsing design of the units means that the units can be easily stored within the vehicle when not in use, without wasting space within the storage area of the vehicle. Further, the 10 simple design of the unit would allow the user to use multiple units within a single vehicle of any shape or size. Thereby creating an improved system for transporting cargo that uses less power and fuel than a specialized vehicle as the user only needs to control the temperature within the volume of the unit rather than the much wider volume of the vehicle. Thereby providing the user with a more energy-efficient means of transporting temperature-15 sensitive cargo that can be adapted to any vehicle.

Claims

1) A storage device comprising:A lid 10 and body 60;Wherein the body 60 comprises a base 62 and several walls 64 configured to form a hollow volume within the body 60 that is open on one side;Wherein the walls 64 are configured to be collapsible, such that the volume within the body 60 can be reduced or removed;Wherein the lid 10 is configured to seal the open side of the body 60 and comprises a temperature control system configured to control the temperature within the hollow volume within the body;the temperature control system comprises a temperature control feature 30, at least one temperature sensor, a power source, and a control system configured to control the elements of the temperature control system, and at least one further sensor configured to monitor the volume inside the body, the further sensor comprising one of a camera, light sensor, or weight sensor; andwherein the walls 64 comprise a hinge to allow the walls to fold.2) The storage device of claim 1, wherein the lid and body are made of an insulating material.3) The storage device of claim 1, wherein the lid and body comprise an insulating lining.4) The storage device of any preceding claim wherein the edge of the lid 10 comprises a lip 12, configured to couple to the edge of the body 60.5) The storage device of any preceding claim wherein the edge on the inside of the lid 10 comprises a seal 20.6) The storage device of any preceding claim, wherein the temperature control feature comprises at least one of a heater, radiator, or refrigerator unit mounted to the inside of the lid 20.7) The storage device of any preceding claim, wherein the temperature control system further comprises one or more fans 32 mounted to the inside of the lid.8) The storage device of any preceding claim, wherein the control system comprises one of manual controls 52 and a display 50, a touchscreen display, a mobile controldevice, or a control application, configured to control the temperature control feature 30.9) The storage device of any preceding claim, wherein the power source comprises at least one of a rechargeable battery, solar panel, or power cable.10) The storage device of any preceding claim wherein the walls 64 of the body 60 are configured to fold along the edge where the wall 64 is coupled to the base 62 of the body 60.11) The storage device of any preceding claim wherein the walls 64 comprise concentric segments that form a collapsible telescopic prism.12) The storage device of any preceding claim wherein the lid 10 is configured to couple to the body 60 when the walls 64 are collapsed.13) The storage device of any preceding claim wherein the lid 10 and base 62 are configured to allow the device to be stacked, whether the walls 64 are raised or collapsed.14) The storage device of any preceding claims wherein the edges of the walls 64 comprise features for coupling the edges of adjacent walls together.15) The storage device of any preceding claim wherein the walls 64 are configured to be raised to one or more intermediate heights between fully raised and collapsed.16) The storage device of any preceding claim wherein at least one of the walls 64 comprises a hole configured to receive an arrester hook.17) The storage device of any preceding claim wherein the base 62 further comprises one or more bearings.18) The storage device of any preceding claim wherein the base 62 comprises one or more tracks configured to be coupled to a corresponding rail within the vehicle, such that the track moves the device along the rail.19) The storage device of claim 18, wherein the device further comprises a set-up rail that corresponds to the track on the base 62.20) A method of using the devices of claims 1 to 19, comprising;raising the walls 64 of the body 60 to form a volume between the walls 64 andthe base 62;placing the lid 10 over the opening formed by the walls 64 to seal the device;using the control system of the temperature control system to set the temperature within the device;wherein the temperature control system monitors the temperature inside the device using the at least one temperature sensor, and monitors at least one other variable that may affect the temperature inside the device using the at least one further sensor.21) The method of claim 20 further comprises steps to collapse the device, comprising;removing the lid 10;folding the walls 64 of the body 60;placing the lid 10 over the folded walls 64; andcoupling the lid to the base 62 of the body 60.

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