Portable Cooler with Vacuum Insulation and PCM
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable coolers fail to maintain temperature-sensitive products in a cooled state for extended periods, often leak, and are not suitable for long-distance transport due to ice melting and potential liquid leakage, making them unsuitable for transporting goods like medicine, food, and organ transplants.
Innovation Solution
A portable cooler with a vacuum-insulated double wall chamber, phase change material, cooling fan, temperature sensors, and active temperature control system, along with stackable design for power transfer and heat management, ensuring consistent temperature maintenance and efficient cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If ice is used to cool the chamber, then the temperature can be maintained initially, but the ice eventually melts causing leakage and loss of cooling capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses phase change material (PCM) that undergoes phase transition at a predetermined temperature to maintain chamber temperature. The PCM absorbs heat during phase change (melting) without significant temperature increase, providing sustained cooling reliability compared to regular ice. This is implemented through the PCM container with heat transfer fins that maximize thermal contact between the PCM and chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs replaceable ice packs containing PCM that can be substituted when depleted. These are designed as disposable or limited-life components that provide reliable cooling for the duration of their phase change capacity, then are replaced rather than requiring complex regeneration systems.
2Ease of manufacture
If a single-use cooler design is used, then manufacturing is simple, but the cooler ends up in landfills after one use creating waste
Solution Approach 1:
The cooler is divided into separable components: a durable reusable outer shell and replaceable inner elements (PCM containers, ice packs). This segmentation allows the main structure to be reused indefinitely while only the consumable cooling elements need replacement, dramatically reducing overall waste compared to single-use designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The design enables recovery and reuse of the main cooler structure while discarding only the depleted PCM containers or ice packs. The reusable shell maintains its functionality across multiple uses, and the replaced PCM containers can be regenerated or disposed of in a controlled manner, reducing landfill impact.
3Volume of moving object
If multiple coolers are stacked for transport, then space efficiency improves, but the upper cooler may impede heat removal from lower coolers
Solution Approach 1:
The cooler design creates thermal equilibrium conditions that allow stacked coolers to coexist without significant heat interference. The insulation and PCM-based cooling system maintain stable internal temperatures that are relatively insensitive to external thermal conditions, enabling safe stacking without compromising cooling performance of individual units.
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 cooler maintains desired temperatures for prolonged periods, prevents leakage, and allows for efficient cooling even when stacked, making it suitable for transporting temperature-sensitive items like vaccines and perishables.
Implementation Method 1
The container can have a vacuum-insulated double wall chamber
Implementation Method 2
The cooler can have an insulated outer housing (e.g., made of foam, such as lightweight foam)
Implementation Method 3
the phase change material (e.g., one or more ice packs, a phase change material sleeve) in thermal communication (e.g., thermal contact) with the perishable contents
Implementation Method 4
The cooling fan is operable to cool the chamber and/or the phase change material in the chamber
Implementation Method 5
The container comprises a temperature control system comprising one or more thermoelectric elements configured to actively heat or cool at least a portion of the chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A portable container has a payload chamber for holding medicines, vaccines, biological samples or other medical goods and a lid operable to access the payload chamber. The portable container also has an electronic system with one or more power storage devices, circuitry that wirelessly communicates via a cell radio with a cloud-based data storage system or a remote electronic device, and an electronic display screen. The electronic system can a) automatically switch sender and recipient information on the electronic display screen to facilitate return of the portable container to the sender or b) automatically contact a parcel carrier to alert the parcel carrier that the portable container is ready for pickup.