Shape-Conforming PCM Packaging for Low-Volume Cold Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional packaging methods for temperature-sensitive bioprosthetic products, such as bioprosthetic heart valves, are bulky, heavy, and time-consuming to assemble, leading to increased shipping costs and customer dissatisfaction, especially when integrated with other products.
Innovation Solution
A temperature-protective package utilizing a shape-conforming phase change material (PCM) within a flexible liner, which conforms to the contours of a rigid container, providing temperature protection while minimizing volume and weight, and allowing for integrated products to be pre-attached, reducing assembly time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional packaging methods use additional containing volumes and gel refrigerants, then temperature protection is provided, but volume and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the rigid container and flexible liner into a single integrated structure where the liner is attached to the container interior. This merging eliminates the need for separate containing volumes and reduces overall package volume while maintaining temperature protection functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a flexible liner made of thin film material that conforms to the contours of the product. This flexible shell provides the necessary containment and temperature protection interface without adding significant volume, replacing bulkier conventional rigid containment structures.
2Temperature
If conventional packaging methods use gel refrigerants, then temperature protection is provided, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible liner serves as a thin-film thermal interface that provides temperature protection without the weight penalty of gel refrigerants. The liner creates an intimate thermal contact with the product, enabling efficient heat transfer while maintaining minimal weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the gel refrigerant from the packaging system entirely, replacing it with the flexible liner structure that provides temperature protection through its thermal properties and close contact with the product, thereby eliminating the weight burden of dense gel materials.
3Temperature
If conventional packaging methods use numerous temperature-protective packs, then temperature protection is provided, but assembly time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate temperature-protective packs into a single integrated flexible liner structure that provides comprehensive temperature protection across the entire product surface. This consolidation reduces the number of components to be assembled and positioned, thereby reducing assembly time.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible liner serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural containment, creates thermal contact with the product, and delivers temperature protection. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate temperature-protective packs and simplifies the assembly process.
4Temperature
If conventional packaging methods use additional containing volumes, then temperature protection is provided, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the rigid container and flexible liner into a single integrated packaging structure, reducing the number of separate components and simplifying the overall device complexity while maintaining temperature protection functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible liner performs multiple packaging functions (containment, thermal contact, temperature protection) in a single component, eliminating the need for multiple separate temperature-protective packs and containing volumes, thereby reducing device complexity.
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 package effectively protects temperature-sensitive products from extreme temperatures, reduces bulk and weight, and minimizes assembly time, thereby lowering shipping costs and improving customer satisfaction.
Implementation Method 1
temperature-protective packages with shape-conforming phase change material (PCM)
Implementation Method 2
shape-conforming phase change material (PCM)
Data Source
AI summary
A temperature-protective package includes a rigid container configured to receive a temperature-sensitive product. A flexible liner is attached to the rigid container such that a pocket is formed between the rigid container and the flexible liner. Phase change material (PCM) is situated in the pocket. The PCM conforms to a contoured surface of the rigid container. In an alternative implementation, a temperature-sensitive package includes a pocket of PCM within a flexible liner. The flexible liner defines a preferred shape of the temperature-protective package. The flexible liner also defines an opening for receiving a product. The opening corresponds to the preferred shape. In one implementation, multiple flexible liners can be utilized to define the preferred shape and the opening.