The present invention is aimed at providing a cold insulation member capable of cooling a cold insulation target to a predetermined temperature zone.

A cold insulation member 10 includes a rapid-cooling layer 1, which includes a rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1a for rapidly cooling the cold insulation target to the predetermined temperature zone in a predetermined time and a rapid-cooling heat-storage material accommodation portion 1b for accommodating the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1a, and a temperature maintenance layer 2 which includes a temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2a for maintaining the cold insulation target in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer and a temperature maintenance heat-storage material accommodation portion 2b for accommodating the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2a and which is arranged beyond the rapid-cooling layer 1.

Embodiments of ice luge apparatuses and methods for making cascading ice luges are disclosed. Apparatuses embodying the principles of the invention feature shelves in a stepwise configuration and alternative configurations. The shelves are positioned by supporting structures. Ice blocks can be frozen in trays such that pre-formed lanes are formed in the ice blocks. The trays can be of convenient size that can be placed in a conventional household freezer. Ice blocks can be arranged and oriented so that a liquid or beverage placed on the uppermost ice block will flow in the preformed lanes in a cascading manner thereby rapidly cooling the beverage with minimal dilution.

A cooling pack (1) for use with a plurality of bottled beverages (3). The cooling pack (1) includes a main body (5) having opposite upper and lower surfaces (5a, 5b). The cooling pack (1) also includes at least one through-hole (7) extending between the upper and lower surfaces of the main body (5), each through-hole (7) being positioned, shaped and sized for receiving an upper portion (3a) of a corresponding bottled beverage (3) to be cooled, each through-hole (7) being further positioned, shaped and sized for abutting against a remaining lower portion (3b) of the bottled beverage (3) to be cooled. The cooling pack (1) also includes at least one opening (9) operatively connected to the at least one through-hole (7), and being configured to define along with the at least one through-hole (7) a combined passageway (11) through which a selected bottled beverage (3) from the plurality of bottled beverages (3) can be individually removed from the cooling pack (1) across the main body (5) of said cooling pack (1).

Thermally insulated shipping system for use in transporting a pallet-sized payload. In one embodiment, the system includes a plurality of thermally insulating walls arranged to define an interior volume suitable for receiving a pallet-sized payload. The thermally insulating walls include a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, a left wall, and a right wall, of which all but the bottom wall include at least two slots facing towards the interior volume. One of the slots is an inner slot that is more proximal to the interior volume, and one of the slots is an outer slot that is more distal to the interior volume. The system also includes a plurality of inner cassettes disposed in at least some of the inner slots and a plurality of outer cassettes disposed in at least some of the outer slots. The inner and outer cassettes include phase-change materials.

A method of packing a temperature sensitive product utilizes a temperature controlled product shipper that includes a phase change material bladder which can be filled at the point of packaging. The temperature sensitive product is contained within an product box or master case, which is in turn packed inside an insulated liner and an outer box. The PCM bladder fits between the master case and the insulated liner and is filled with a preconditioned flowable PCM at the point of packing just before closing the box for shipment.

Methods, processes, compositions, apparatus, kits and systems for chilling and cooling beverages and desserts to selected desired temperatures by adding the beverages and desserts to different mixtures of brine solutions and bags of loose ice. The invention forms and creates an aqueous solution composition of certain salinity of ice-melter (such as sodium chloride salt and/or calcium chloride). The composition is poured in a pre-defined amount evenly over a known amount of bagged-ice in a cooler. The result is a precisely controlled and evenly distributed temperature (within a few degrees Fahrenheit) can be obtained within the ice-solution mixture. Next, canned and bottled beverages (and other items) can be submerged in the precision controlled temperature ice-solution mixture to create certain desired effects only possible by chilling items to a known temperature below 32 degrees.

A cooler includes a body. The cooler also includes a divider that divides an interior of the body into a first zone and a second zone. A first phase change material module is disposed in the first zone of the interior of the body and a second phase change material module is disposed in the second zone of the interior of the body.

A beverage container has two main components: a drinking container and a chilling container. The chilling container is filled (or prefilled) with a chilling agent and placed in an environment suitable for freezing of the fluid. The chilling container is then coupled to the drinking container and the chilling container will chill the beverage contained within the drinking container. Flow restrictors within the chilling container prevent the frozen material from rising into the drinking container. The drinking container and chilling container are both designed to be reusable.

Embodiments of cascading ice luges and embodiments of apparatuses and methods for making cascading ice luges are disclosed. One apparatus embodying the principles of the invention features shelves and attached brackets in stepwise configuration. The shelves are affixed to a scaffold. Ice blocks can be frozen in trays such that pre-formed lanes are formed in the ice blocks. The trays can be of convenient size that can be placed in a conventional household freezer. Ice blocks can be arranged on the shelves in stepwise figuration and oriented so that a liquid or beverage placed on the uppermost ice block will flow in the pre-formed lanes in a cascading manner thereby rapidly cooling the beverage with minimal dilution.

A pressure activated recharging cooling platform for cooling an object is provided. The cooling platform comprises a temperature regulation layer, a support layer, and a channeled covering layer. The temperature regulation layer is adapted to hold a composition. The temperature regulation layer has a plurality of angled segments, wherein angled segments within a sealed perimeter of the temperature regulation layer are formed by a top side and a bottom side at a predefined distance, and channels, wherein the channels substantially form sides by contacting the top side with the bottom side at a distance lesser than the predefined distance. The support layer is substantially bonded to the bottom side of the temperature regulation layer and is comprised of material sufficiently pliable to deform and sufficiently rigid to withstand collapse in response to the weight of the object. The channeled covering layer encompasses the support and temperature regulation layers.