Container for containing perishable goods

Abstract

A container for transport of biological samples, food or beverages under controlled temperature, or other perishable goods includes a housing compartment for the goods, which is delimited by one or more side walls and has at least one opening. At least one intermediate wall is provided inside the housing compartment and is adapted to divide the housing compartment into at least two sections. The intermediate wall has at least one vent pipe element that includes an upper opening connected to a lower opening through a duct, such that the lower opening communicates with one section and the upper opening communicates with the other section of the housing compartment. The vent pipe element also includes a fan adapted to create a forced-air flow from the upper opening to the lower opening and vice versa, so that the forced-air flow provides constant temperatures for the goods during transport.

Claims

1. A container for transport of biological samples, food or beverages, or other perishable materials under controlled temperature, comprising: a housing compartment (11) for goods, said housing compartment (11) being delimited by one or more side walls (12) and having an opening; and at least one intermediate wall (2) provided inside said housing compartment (11) and adapted to divide said housing compartment (11) into at least two sections (110, 111), wherein: said intermediate wall (2) has at least one vent pipe element comprising an upper opening (21) connected to a lower opening (22) through a duct (23), such that the lower opening (22) communicates with a first section (110) of the housing compartment and the upper opening (21) communicates with a second section (111) of the housing compartment, and said vent pipe element comprising at least one comprises a fan (24) adapted to create a forced-air flow from the upper opening (21) to the lower opening (22) and vice versa, so that said forced-air flow provides constant temperatures for the samples goods during transport.

2. The container as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one heat-absorbing device, which is placed in any section of the housing compartment.

3. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said intermediate wall (2) has at least a first and a second vent pipe elements, and wherein the upper opening (21) of the first vent pipe element communicates with the second section (111), and the lower opening (22) of the second vent pipe element communicates with the second section.

4. The container as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an actuation and adjustment unit to actuate and adjust said fan (24), said actuation and adjustment unit communicating with a temperature sensing unit.

5. The container as claimed in claim 4, wherein said temperature sensing unit comprises means for sensing air temperature at the upper opening (21) and/or the lower opening (22).

6. The container as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a cover (4), which is adapted to close said opening, said cover (4) having a control and management unit, said control and management unit communicating with the said actuation and adjustment unit.

7. The container as claimed in claim 6, wherein said cover (4) comprises means for recognizing the goods within said housing compartment (11).

8. The container as claimed in claim 6, wherein said cover (4) has temperature sensing means for sensing a temperature in said housing compartment (11).

9. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said intermediate wall (2) is configured to maintain a temperature ranging from +4 C. and +37 C. in said housing compartment (11).

10. The container as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a system for safely opening/closing said housing compartment (11), said system comprising authentication means using codes contained in smart cards or other user recognition signals.

11. The container as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sensors, which are adapted to record transport conditions, including temperature, sample movement, moisture, light, and geographic position.

12. The container as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a power storage and generation unit.

13. The container as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for connection and interface with a power generation network.

14. The container as claimed in claim 11, further comprising at least one storage unit for storing data detected by said plurality of sensors.

15. The container as claimed in claim 11, further comprising means for realtime transmission/reception of data detected by said plurality of sensors to/from at least one remote unit.

16. The container as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one interface for communication with one or more remote units, such that the remote units may set operating conditions of said container.

17. The container as claimed in claim 1, further comprising mechanical means for opening/closing the housing compartment (11).

18. The container as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one control unit for detecting any tamper attempt on the container.

19. The container as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a supervision unit for detecting an achievement of threshold values by parameters detected by said plurality of sensors, said supervision unit comprising a unit for generating alarm signals and a unit for sending said alarm signals to one or more user units.

20. A partition wall (2) adapted to be inserted in a housing compartments (11) of a container to divide the housing compartment (11) into at least two sections (110, 111), wherein said partition wall comprises at least one vent pipe element comprising an upper opening (21) connected to a lower opening (22) through a duct (23), such that the lower opening (22) communicates with a first section (110) of the housing compartment and the upper opening (21) communicates with a second section (111) of the housing compartment, and wherein said vent pipe element comprises a fan (24) adapted to create a forced-air flow from the upper opening (21) to the lower opening (22) and vice versa, so that said forced-air flow provides constant temperatures for goods during transport in the container.

Description

[0079] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly from the following description of a few embodiments, illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which:

[0080] FIG. 1 shows a schematic of the container of the present invention;

[0081] FIGS. 2a to 2e show different views of the container of the present invention;

[0082] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the intermediate wall of the container of the present invention;

[0083] FIGS. 4A to 4c show three sections, as taken along respective different vertical planes, of the wall of FIG. 3.

[0084] It shall be noted that the figures annexed to the present patent application, relate to a possible embodiment which is given for an improved understanding of the characteristics and advantages of the container and the partition wall of the present invention.

[0085] Therefore, these embodiments shall be intended by way of explanation and without limitation to the inventive concept of the present invention, which consists in the provision of a container for transport of perishable goods that allows proper transport thereof, without temperature jumps.

[0086] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 2c, the container of the present invention comprises a housing compartment 11, delimited by one or more side walls 12, and arranged to have at least one opening.

[0087] At least one intermediate wall 2 is provided inside the housing compartment 11 and is adapted to divide the housing compartment 11 into at least two sections, particularly one section 110 and one section 111.

[0088] In the variant embodiments as shown in the figures, particularly in FIG. 2b, the intermediate wall 2 divides the housing compartment 11 into a cold section 110 and a warm section 111.

[0089] The section 110 is designated as cold due to the presence of the eutectic plates 3 that cool the section.

[0090] It will be appreciated below that the intermediate wall 2 shall create a forced air flow to move air from the cold section 110 to the warm section 111.

[0091] Obviously, in the illustrated variant the product in the section 111 is required to be cooled, but the eutectic plates 3 may be replaced, or the air flow may be reversed, for the product in the section 111 to be heated.

[0092] In the illustrated variant embodiment, the container has a plurality of elements in the housing compartment 11, for removably fastening the intermediate wall 2.

[0093] Particularly, these removable fastening elements consists of guides 112 in which the intermediate wall 2 is fitted.

[0094] This configuration allows the dimensions of the two sections 110 and 111 to be increased at will and also allows, as shown in FIG. 2c, two intermediate walls 2 to be fitted to form two cold compartments 110 with respective eutectic plates 3.

[0095] In FIG. 1, the arrows indicate the forced air flow provided by the intermediate wall 2 to cool the products within the housing compartment 11, particularly the section 111.

[0096] FIGS. 3 to 4c show that the intermediate wall 2 may create the forced air flow.

[0097] The intermediate wall 2 has four vent pipe elements, as shown in FIG. 4b.

[0098] In the illustrated variant, four vent pipe elements are provided, but any number of vent pipe elements may be provided.

[0099] Irrespective of the selected number, each vent pipe element comprises an upper opening 21, connected to a lower opening 22 through a duct 23, such that the lower opening 22 communicates with one section and the upper opening 21 communicates with the other section.

[0100] Furthermore, each vent pipe element comprises at least one fan 24 which is adapted to create a forced air flow from the upper opening 21 to the lower opening 22 and vice versa.

[0101] Particularly referring to FIGS. 3 and 4a, the intermediate wall 2 has four vent pipe elements arranged in such a manner that if the lower openings 22 of the outermost vent pipe elements communicate with the section 110, the upper openings 21 of the vent pipe elements will communicate with the section 111.

[0102] In this arrangement, the lower openings 22 of the central vent pipe elements will communicate with the section 111, whereas the upper openings 21 of the same vent pipe elements will communicate with the section 110.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 4b, the fan 24 is located at the upper openings 21, but for simpler construction it may be located anyway in the vent pipe element.

[0104] The forced air flow created by the intermediate wall 2 is now apparent.

[0105] Assuming, for instance, that a product in the section 111 is cooled using the cooling capacity of the eutectic plates 3, the actuation of the fans 24 causes warm air to be withdrawn from the section 111 to flow into the section 110, where it is cooled, to be introduced again into the section 111.

[0106] Particularly, air is withdrawn from the lower openings 22 which communicate with the section 111, flows through the ducts 23, and is introduced into the section 110 through the upper openings of the same vent pipe elements which had withdrawn air from the section 111.

[0107] In the section 110 the air is cooled, is withdrawn from the lower openings 22 which communicate with the section 110 and is introduced into the section 111 through the upper openings 21 of the same vent pipe elements.

[0108] The cold air cools the product in the section 111 and is withdrawn again from the lower openings 22 to start a new cycle.

[0109] FIG. 3 shows a possible embodiment of the intermediate wall 2, in which the vent pipe elements are integrated in an outer casing 25 which has the holes of the lower openings 22 and the upper openings 21 on the larger faces.

[0110] Each face is obviously complementary to the others, i.e. each vent pipe element has one hole on one face for the lower opening 22 and one hole on the other face for the upper opening 21.

[0111] Furthermore, the outer casing 25 has elements 251 adapted to cooperate with the guides 112 of the housing compartment 11 for removably fastening the intermediate wall 2.

[0112] FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4c show section of the intermediate wall 2 for improved understanding of the construction characteristics of the vent pipe elements.

[0113] It will be understood that the direction of rotation of the fans 24 may set the direction of the air flow, whereas the speed of rotation of the fans 24 will control the cooling rate of the product in the section 111.

[0114] For this reason, a fan actuation and adjustment unit 24 is provided, which communicates with a temperature sensing unit.

[0115] Particularly, the temperature sensing unit comprises means for sensing air temperature at the upper opening 21 and/or the lower opening 22.

[0116] According to a preferred embodiment, the temperature sensing unit comprises: [0117] a rpm meter for each fan 24 [0118] a thermometer for each fan 24 for measuring temperature at each fan 24 [0119] one or more hygrometers for measuring moisture in the air at the fans 24.

[0120] Here, the temperature sensing unit is integrated in the intermediate wall 2.

[0121] In a possible embodiment, the fan actuation and adjustment unit 24 may be integrated in the intermediate wall 2 and comprise the temperature sensing unit therein.

[0122] Therefore, the intermediate wall 2 may have an intelligent portion for the actuation and adjustment unit, which may have a self-standing operation, simply based on the detected temperature.

[0123] Nevertheless, in a preferred embodiment, the smart portion of the intermediate wall 2 may communicate with a smart portion on a cover 4 of the container, as shown in FIGS. 2a, 2d and 2e.

[0124] The smart portion of the cover 4 has a control and management unit that communicates with the actuation and adjustment unit.

[0125] The control and management unit has a user interface comprising a display for the user to enter the operating settings.

[0126] FIGS. 2d and 2e show the top of the cover 4, comprising a door composed of two parts 41 and 42 which can be moved toward and away from each other for access to the display 43.

[0127] A USB port 44, a power socket 45 and the power button 46 for the display 43 may be provided below the display 43.

[0128] The power socket 45 may be provided in combination with rechargeable batteries, which can be placed both in the intermediate wall 2 and in the cover 4 and may be recharged through the power socket 45.

[0129] Furthermore, the cover 4 may include various devices both for communication of the parameters recorded by the cover 4 and for interaction of the cover 4 with any users.

[0130] Therefore, the cover may have accelerometers, inertial sensors, RFID, NFC, Bluetooth devices, GPS or GSM devices, SD memory cards, data encryption cards, cryptochips etc., integrated therein.

[0131] User recognition and authorization means may be further provided such as smart card readers or the like.

[0132] Furthermore, the cover 4 may include means for recognizing the goods in the housing compartment.

[0133] The means for recognizing goods may consist, for example of an optical instrument or barcode reader, connected to the USB port 44, or means integrated in the cover 4, as for example NFC, RFID, Bluetooth devices cooperating with corresponding tags on the products in the housing compartment.

[0134] In one improvement, temperature sensing means may be provided in the cover 4 for sensing the temperature in the housing compartment 11, such as IR temperature sensors.

[0135] Finally, in a further embodiment a light sensing sensor may be provided, which is adapted to determine whether the container is actually closed.

[0136] All the parts integrated in the cover as discussed herein are not shown in the figures for simplicity, but it will be understood that these parts, composed of electronic cards, may be easily inserted into the cover structure 4 in the manner and according to the knowledge of the prior art.