Method and system for maintaining temperature-sensitive materials within a target temperature range for an extended time. In one embodiment, the system keeps materials within a temperature range of +2 C. to +8 C. and includes an insulated container, a product box, ice packs, and organic phase-change material (PCM) packs. The ice packs are preconditioned to a very low temperature, such as 20 C. The organic PCM packs do not require preconditioning and may be kept at room temperature. In use, the frozen ice packs and the warm organic PCM packs may be loaded into the insulated container, together with a payload in the product box. Preferably, the frozen ice packs are sandwiched between a pair of organic PCM packs on each face of the product box. The masses of ice and organic PCM are selected so that, upon thermal equilibration, the ice and organic PCM are within the target temperature range.

A furniture cooler combination device facilitates discrete storage of items in a cooler positioned on a deck, porch, or in a sitting area. The device includes a box positioned beneath a lid. The insulated box has a bottom wall and a peripheral wall coupled to and extending up from the bottom wall. A distal edge of the peripheral wall relative to the bottom wall defines an open top of the box. An exterior surface of the peripheral wall is structured to resemble a plurality of legs and panels. Each panel has an outer face inset relative an associated outside face of each of the legs wherein the exterior surface is configured to resemble furniture.

An environmental control system includes: a plurality of containers that stores goods; a shelf that accommodates the plurality of containers; an environmental adjustment facility that adjusts the environment in each container; and a control unit. The control unit controls the environmental adjustment facility so that the environment in the container is adjusted to a predetermined environmental range based on attributes set for each container.

An insulating structure for an appliance including a first panel, a second panel coupled to the first panel, wherein the first and second panels define a cavity, an insulation material disposed within the cavity, at least one central flattening portion of the first and second panels, the at least one central flattening portion defining an enlarged area of the cavity in a rest state and having deflection control features, and structural reinforcements defined by the deflection control features of the at least one central flattening portion.

An insulating apparatus can include a base portion, a side portion, and an upper portion. Each portion can include a double walled configuration with a gap defining an insulation volume therebetween. The base portion, the side portion, and the upper portion collectively define an interior volume of the insulating apparatus. In one embodiment, the first base wall, first side wall, and first upper wall are stainless steel, and the second base wall, second side wall, and second upper wall are aluminum, and wool batting is positioned in the first insulation volume, the second insulation volume, and the third insulation volume.

A modular shipping system includes a bulk shipping space; and a base to support a pair of stackable cryogenic shipping subunits positioned in the bulk shipping space during long distance shipment, each subunit having a plurality of feet on a subunit bottom adapted to rest above a plurality of corresponding foot receptacles on a subunit lid, each subunit having its own cryogen connection source to maintain temperature during transit.

There is disclosed a refrigerator; a lighting device provided in the storage chamber, a first door rotatably coupled to the case to open and close the storage chamber, an auxiliary storage chamber provided in the first door, a second door, a front panel formed of a transparent material, an evaporation treatment unit evaporated on an overall back surface of the front panel to transmit lights partially, a variable transparency film attached to a back surface of the evaporation treatment unit provided in the front panel to get transparent when the power is supplied, a frame unit with an opening having a corresponding size to an opening provided in the first door, an insulation panel distant from the front panel, a power supply unit for supplying an electric power to the variable transparency film and the lighting device, a proximity sensor provided in the second door to sense a user's approaching.

A refrigerator cabinet is provided. The refrigerator cabinet includes an inner liner and an external wrapper. The inner liner is positioned within the external wrapper such that a gap is defined between the external wrapper and inner liner. A first insulator is positioned within the gap, and a second insulator is positioned within the gap. A pressure within the gap is below about 1000 Pa.

The present invention relates to an organic aerogel obtained by reacting a thiol compound having a functionality from 2 to 6 and an epoxy compound having a functionality from 2 to 6 in a presence of a solvent. The organic aerogels according to the present invention are hydrophobic, high performance materials (lightweight, with low thermal conductivity, low shrinkage, and high mechanical properties).

The present invention provides a transportable coolroom module comprising: a base frame; a coolroom structure mounted on the base frame, the coolroom structure including a floor, a plurality of walls each extending above the floor, and a roof supported by the walls; at least one access door provided in at least one of the walls; and, at least one removable infill panel provided in at least one other of the walls; wherein when the at least one removable infill panel is attached to the coolroom structure, the transportable coolroom module may be used as a stand-alone coolroom; and, wherein when the at least one removable infill panel is selectively removed from the coolroom structure, the transportable coolroom module may be selectively interconnected with one or more other like transportable coolroom modules to create a larger combined coolroom environment. Also provided is associated systems and methods for constructing coolroom structures using multiple such transportable coolroom modules.