Double-Wall Thermal Container With Interchangeable PCM Units
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable bags for breastmilk storage are poorly insulated, bulky, and lack versatility, failing to maintain safe temperatures for extended periods and not accommodating glass bottles, while existing devices are inefficient in changing temperatures and are single-purpose.
Innovation Solution
A portable thermal insulated apparatus with a double-wall container and interchangeable thermal units using phase change materials for both heating and cooling, allowing secure storage of liquids and solids, including glass bottles, and maintaining desired temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If existing portable bags use ice packs for cooling, then short-term cooling storage is achieved, but insulation is poor and storage duration is limited to 3-4 hours
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a multi-layer composite insulation structure comprising an outer shell, insulation layer with aerogel or vacuum insulation, and an inner container. This composite material approach creates a highly effective thermal barrier that maintains temperatures for 24+ hours, resolving the contradiction between storage duration and temperature maintenance reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase change materials (PCM) in the form of gel packs containing water or salt solutions that undergo phase transition at specific temperatures. These PCMs absorb excess heat during melting, maintaining stable temperatures within the storage container for extended periods, thereby improving both storage duration and temperature reliability.
2Volume of moving object
If existing portable bags are designed for portability, then they are compact, but they are bulky and non-discreet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested structure where the inner container holding breast milk bottles is placed within the insulation layer, which is itself contained within the outer shell. The gel packs are positioned in compartments within this nested structure. This nesting allows the device to be compact when collapsed for portability while providing sufficient volume when assembled for use, resolving the contradiction between compact size and functional volume.
3Adaptability or versatility
If existing devices are designed for single-purpose cooling, then cooling function is provided, but they cannot warm the same liquid or bottle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs interchangeable gel packs that can be removed and replaced. A refrigerated gel pack is used for cooling storage, while a warm gel pack (heated separately in water or microwave) is used for warming. This dynamic replacement of functional components allows the same device structure to perform multiple functions (cooling and warming) without requiring a complex integrated system, resolving the contradiction between versatility and device complexity.
4Strength
If existing bags accommodate only plastic bottles, then they are simple in design, but they do not protect glass bottles from breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a foam or rubber cushioning layer between the inner container and the outer shell, as well as individual protective sleeves or inserts for each bottle within the inner container. This pre-installed cushioning protects glass bottles from breakage during transport without requiring a complex rigid structure, resolving the contradiction between protection capability and device complexity.
5Productivity
If existing devices focus on maintaining cold temperature, then cooling storage is efficient, but they are inefficient at changing temperature to a desired level
Solution Approach 1:
The patent allows users to pre-chill or pre-heat the gel packs before use. The refrigerated gel pack is prepared in advance in a freezer, and the warm gel pack is heated in advance in hot water or a microwave. This preliminary preparation of the thermal medium enables rapid temperature change of the breast milk without requiring the device itself to consume energy during the temperature transition, resolving the contradiction between temperature change efficiency and energy consumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus effectively maintains safe temperatures for breastmilk and other liquids, providing extended storage and portability, with interchangeable thermal units enabling both heating and cooling functions, addressing the limitations of existing devices.
Implementation Method 1
The thermal unit includes a refrigerant or phase change material, wherein a temperature difference between the phase change material and the contents of the container provide for the respective cooling or heating
Implementation Method 2
The container includes an inner tube and an outer forming an insulated double-wall sealed at both ends thereof
Data Source
AI summary
A portable thermal insulated apparatus for cooling or heating items stored therein. The thermal insulated apparatus includes a container having a lid that removably secures to an open first end thereof and a reservoir unit that removably secures to an open second end. The container includes an inner tube and an outer tube forming an insulated double-wall sealed at both ends in which the lid and reservoir unit can be connected thereto. The reservoir unit removably receives a thermal unit that provides cooling or heating to the contents of the container when affixed thereto. The thermal unit is separable from the reservoir unit, such that the thermal units are interchangeable as needed. In some embodiments, the thermal unit is directly securable to the lid and the second end of the container is permanently sealed.