Thermally insulated container assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Passive thermally insulated shipping containers require complex assembly of multiple cool packs, which can lead to inefficiencies in thermal insulation due to convection currents and increased handling burdens, especially when a large number of containers need to be prepared simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
The design of a cool pack with two rigid compartments joined by a living hinge allows for folding and interlocking, reducing the number of components needed and simplifying assembly, while chamfered edges and stepped profiles minimize convection by ensuring tight abutment and proper alignment of cool packs within the container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If multiple separate cool packs are used to line the container walls, then thermal coverage is improved, but assembly complexity and handling burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate cool packs into a single integrated cool pack assembly that lines the entire inner perimeter of the container. This single assembly includes multiple cool pack sections connected by flexible connectors, allowing it to be installed as one unit rather than multiple separate components, thereby reducing assembly complexity while maintaining comprehensive thermal coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The cool pack assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides thermal insulation along the entire container perimeter, acts as a single removable unit for charging/discharging operations, and maintains structural integrity through its integrated design. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by improving thermal coverage without proportionally increasing assembly complexity.
2Temperature
If multiple separate cool packs are used, then thermal coverage is improved, but handling time and preparation efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple cool packs into a single integrated assembly, the patent enables the entire cool pack system to be removed, charged, and reinstalled as one unit. This eliminates the time-consuming process of handling multiple separate cool packs individually, thereby reducing handling time while maintaining complete thermal coverage along the container walls.
3Ease of manufacture
If cool packs are positioned with fill points on edges, then manufacturing is simplified, but convection currents between adjacent cool packs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fill points from the edge positions of the cool pack sections and relocates them to the inner surface of the container. This is achieved by providing fill conduits that extend from the inner surface through the insulation layers to the refrigerant storage chambers. By taking out the fill points from edge positions, the patent eliminates the gaps that would allow convection currents while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fill conduits act as intermediaries that connect the refrigerant storage chambers to the charging system. These conduits allow the fill points to be positioned on the inner surface rather than on edges, thereby preventing convection currents between adjacent cool packs while still enabling straightforward refrigerant filling operations.
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
This design enhances thermal efficiency by reducing convection and simplifies the assembly process, allowing for quicker and more accurate placement of cool packs, thereby maintaining temperature stability and streamlining the preparation of multiple containers.
Implementation Method 1
the two compartments being joined by a living hinge
Implementation Method 2
minimize convection by ensuring tight abutment and proper alignment of cool packs
Implementation Method 3
These may be cooled until a phase change occurs in the refrigerant in the cool packs from a liquid to a solid, so that the subsequent phase change back from a solid to a liquid acts to maintain the contents of the container at a constant temperature
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
The present invention provides a thermally insulated container (1) comprising an expanded foam layer (2), a further layer (3), internal of the expanded foam layer (2), formed of a plurality of cool packs (29), (30), (32-35) or insulation panels (4a to 4f), and a locking lid (13). The cool packs consist of a combination of cool packs with stepped edges (29, 30) and individual side wall cool packs side wall cool packs formed with a living hinge (32-35), wherein the cool packs (29-30) consist of a protruding fill point on one edge and blanking protrusions on the remaining three edges, and the cool packs (32-35) comprise recesses (46) and (47) on the top and bottom edges to accommodate either the fill point or the blanking protrusion of each adjacent cool pack (29) and (30). The insulation panels are pre-assembled on a sheet (58) ready for insertion into the container. The expanded foam layer (2) includes a number of individual preformed sections (5) to (9) assembled to form a main body of the container, the main body consisting of a rectangular base (5) and four wall sections (6) to (9), wherein inner faces of opposed pairs of wall sections (6) to (9) are substantially parallel to each other. The locking lid comprises a main body (10), (12) formed from an expanded foam and a locking member (11) formed from expanded foam, the main body being arranged to be received in and to close a mouth of the container and the locking member (11) being arranged to rotate to lock the lid (13) in place. The lid in accordance with the invention may provide a particularly efficient thermal barrier.