COOLED CONTAINER AND METHOD FOR DISTRIBUTING COOLED ITEMS

Abstract

A container (1) for holding and transporting cooled items, such as medicines. The container comprises an enclosure enclosed by a cooling element (8) containing a phase change material, a heat sink (11) outside the enclosure and a duct (12) forming a closed loop between the cooling element and the heat sink, for circulation of a coolant. The heat sink may for example comprise a Peltier element (14).

Claims

1. A container for holding and transporting cooled items, the container comprising an enclosure at least partly enclosed by a cooling element containing a phase change material, a heat sink outside the enclosure, and a duct for circulation of coolant forming a closed loop between the cooling element and the heat sink.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the duct comprises a drive for circulating the coolant through the duct.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the heat sink comprises a thermoelectric element with a cold side in the duct and a warm side outside the duct.

4. The container of claim 3, wherein the warm side of the thermoelectric element comprises cooling fins and a fan.

5. The container of claim 1, wherein the cooling element further comprises a thermal spreader in thermo-conductive contact with the phase change material.

6. The container of claim 1, wherein the cooling element containing the phase change material fully surrounds the enclosure, jointly with a thermally insulating lid.

7. The container according to claim 1, wherein the duct has a part within the container which is at least partly embedded in the phase change material.

8. The container according to claim 1, wherein the duct contains cooling fins in thermo-conductive contact with the phase change material.

9. The container according to claim 1, wherein the coolant is air.

10. A method for distributing heat sensitive items from a distribution center to a delivery address comprising steps of: providing a container comprising an interior enclosed by a cooling element comprising phase change materials; subsequently cooling the container; subsequently adding the heat sensitive items to be distributed; and subsequently transporting the heat sensitive items in the container to the delivery address.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the distribution center is provided with a charger for cooling the container.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the charger comprises a plurality of connection points, each being configured to receive and charge one said container.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the container comprises one or more thermo-electric cooling elements; the charger is a power charger, the connection points having electric contacts configured to mate with complementary contacts of the container for powering the thermo-electric cooling elements.

14. A charger for use in the method according to claim 13, the charger comprising an essentially vertical front side presenting an array of connection points.

15. The charger according to claim 14, wherein the connection points are shaped to receive or support one of said containers to establish a powering contact.

16. The charger according to claim 1, wherein the container and the connection points are shaped to allow connection of the containing in only one single position.

17. The charger according to claim 16, wherein the container and connection points form a releasable snap connection for connecting the container and the charger.

18. The container of claim 2, wherein the drive is selected from the group consisting of a pump and a fan.

19. The container of claim 3, wherein the thermoelectric element is a Peltier element.

20. The container of claim 5, wherein the thermal spreader is a metal liner of the enclosure.

Description

[0031] The invention is further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings showing exemplary embodiments.

[0032] FIG. 1: shows schematically a container according to the invention;

[0033] FIG. 2: shows a second exemplary embodiment of a the container in perspective view

[0034] FIG. 3: shows the container of FIG. 2 from a different viewing angle;

[0035] FIG. 4: shows the container of FIG. 2 in exploded view;

[0036] FIG. 5: shows the container of FIG. 2 in side view;

[0037] FIG. 6: shows a cross section along line A-A in FIG. 5;

[0038] FIG. 7: shows a casing of the container of FIG. 2 in perspective view;

[0039] FIG. 8: shows the casing of FIG. 7 at a different viewing angle;

[0040] FIG. 9: shows the container of FIG. 2 in the casing of FIG. 7, the casing being partly removed casing from a first viewing angle;

[0041] FIG. 10: shows the assembly of FIG. 9 from a second viewing angle;

[0042] FIG. 11: shows a wall charger with containers.

[0043] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a container 1 for holding and transporting heat sensitive items, in particular medicines. In the shown embodiment, the container 1 is cylindrical but it can also be box-shaped or it may have any other suitable configuration.

[0044] The container 1 has an open top end 2, a closed outer wall 3 and bottom 4, and a lid 5 of an insulative material for closing off the open end 2. The open end 2 defines an opening allowing access to an enclosure 6 or chamber for storing the heat sensitive items.

[0045] The container 1 comprises an outer double walled, vacuum flask 7, defining the outer wall 3 and the bottom 4, and a tubular cooling element 8 fitting within the flask 7 and fully surrounding the enclosure 6, including the bottom part of the enclosure, except for the access opening 2.

[0046] The tubular cooling element 8 holds a phase change material in a thin-walled foil allowing optimum heat transfer. The cooling element 8 has an inner wall defining the enclosure 6. The inner wall is lined with a thermal heat spreader 9 of a metal or similarly heat conductive material.

[0047] The container 1 comprises a heat sink 11 outside the enclosure 6 and outside the flask 7. An air duct 12 forms a closed loop between the cooling element 8 and the heat sink 11 and comprises a first fan 13 for circulating the air through the duct 12. The heat sink 11 comprises a Peltier element 14, with a cold side 15 in the air duct 12 and a warm side 16 outside the air duct 12. The warm side 16 of the Peltier element 14 comprises cooling fins 17 and a second fan 18.

[0048] The air duct 12 has an interior part 19 embedded in the phase change material and an exterior part 20 comprising the cold side 15 of the Peltier element 14. This interior part 19 of the air duct 12 is in intimate heat conductive contact with the surrounding phase change material and with the thermal spreader 9.

[0049] The container 1 has a power connection port 21. Powering the container 1 will activate the first fan 13 in the air duct 12 and the Peltier element 14. Air in the air duct 12 is circulated. When it passes the cold side 15 of the Peltier element 14 in the air duct 12, heat is extracted from the air and dissipated to via the warm side 16 of the Peltier element 14. To promote heat dissipation the warm side 16 of the Peltier element 14 is provided with the fins 17 and the second fan 18 blowing outside air through the fins 17.

[0050] After passing the Peltier element 14, the cooled air flows back to the interior part 19 of the air duct 12 where it extracts heat from the phase change material. The thermal spreader 9 helps to cool the phase change material more evenly.

[0051] A second exemplary embodiment of a container 101 according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 2-6. This container comprises a cylindrical double walled vacuum flask 107 and a cooling element 108 of a phase change material tightly fitting within the flask 107 (FIG. 4). The cooling element 108 has an internal cavity 122 which is cross shaped in cross section and in top view. A liner 109 maintains the phase change material in the desired shape. The liner 109 has a closed bottom, an open top end and a cross shaped interior space 123. A rectangular heat spreader 124 is received within the cross shaped interior space 123 of the liner 109. In top view, the heat spreader 124 has two opposite ends 125, 126 received in two opposite ends of the cross shaped cavity 123 of the liner 109, and two oppositely arranged sets of cooling fins 127 received in the other two ends of the cross shaped interior space 123 of the liner 109. At the bottom side of the heat spreader 124, the cooling fins 127 space the heat spreader 124 from the closed bottom of the liner 109. The inner side of the heat spreader 124 defines an enclosure 106 for receiving heat sensitive products, in particular medicines. The sections of the liner 109 receiving the cooling fins 127 of the heat spreader 124 form an interior section 119 of an air duct 112.

[0052] The container 101 further comprises an exterior section 120 of the air duct 112. The interior and exterior sections 119, 120 of the air duct form a closed loop passing a Peltier element 114 (FIG. 6) with a cold side 115 inside the air duct 112 and a warm side 116 outside the air duct 112. Fans (not shown) serve to circulate air within the closed air duct 112 and outside air along cooling fins 117 of the warm side 116 of the Peltier element 114. The cooling fins 117 are encased in a housing 130 with open side walls defining a flow path for air along the cooling fins 117.

[0053] The exterior section 120 of the air duct is supported by a rectangular tube 129 in line with the heat spreader 124. This rectangular tube 129 receives a matching skirt 140 of the lid 105. The flask 107 has an internal screw thread 142 cooperating with an external screw thread 141 at the top of the liner 109.

[0054] The container 101 fits within a protective casing 131, shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The casing 131 has a top end 132 with an opening 133 exposing the lid 105 of the container 101, and a bottom end 134 with an opening 135 to allow suction of air to the cooling fins 117, and an opening 138 allowing access to a power connection element of the container 101. Two opposite side walls are provided with openings 136 connecting to the open side walls of the housing 130 encasing the cooling fins 117 of the Peltier element 114.

[0055] The container 1, 101 serves to transport medicines from a distribution center to a delivery address, in particular of an end user. After delivery of the medicines, the container 1, 101 is returned to the same distribution center, or to a similar distribution center. The distribution center is provided with a charger for charging a plurality of transport containers 1, 101. The charger can be configured to charge the containers 1, 101 with electricity to power the Peltier elements 14, 114.

[0056] A wall mountable exemplary embodiment of such a charger is shown in FIG. 11. The charger 140 has a series of connection points 141 with connector elements 142. The connection points 141 of the charger 140 are shaped and dimensioned such that the containers 1, 101 can easily be clicked into the respective connection points 141 of the charger 140, such that the connector element 142 of the charger 140 engages the power connection element of the container 1, 101 to allow powering of the Peltier elements 14, 114 and the fans for circulating air through the air ducts 12, 112.

[0057] The charger 140 and/or the container 1, 101 can be provided with a power management system, which may for instance comprise thermo-sensors in the enclosure 6 of the container 1 and a controller configured to switch off power feed to the container when the temperature in the enclosure 6, 106 is at a desired level.

[0058] To prepare the container 1, 101 for a next shipment, the container 1, 101 is coupled to the charger 140 for cooling. An operator selects a sufficiently cooled container for a scheduled shipment, detaches the container 1, 101 from the charger 140 and opens the cooled enclosure of the container to place the medicines in it. The container is then closed. The container 1, 101 is labeled with a delivery address and shipped by means of a vehicle such as a van. Optionally, this vehicle may also be provided with a charger 140 for cooling the container 1, 101 but for most distances this should not be necessary within normal outside temperature windows.

[0059] After delivery of the medicines, the container 1 is returned to the distribution center, where it can be cooled again on the charger 140 for a next shipment.