Cooling device for the cooled storage of medical products

Abstract

The invention relates to a cooling device 1, in particular a freezer 2, having a cooling circuit 3, wherein the cooling circuit 3 has a compressor 4, at least one evaporator 5, and a condenser 44, and a closable cooling space 6 with a plurality of cooling space sidewalls 7, a cooling space base 8, at least one cooling element 9, and an insulation vessel 10. In the cooling device 1 the evaporator 5 and the cooling element 9 are disposed within the cooling space 6 such that the back of the cooling element 11 at least partially abuts on the evaporator 5 and the front of the cooling element 12 faces the insulation vessel 10, and the insulation vessel 10 is closed at least towards the at least one cooling element 9 and forms a space for cooling goods 13. The back of the cooling element 11 abutting the evaporator 5 has at least one recess 14 into which at least one removable cold accumulator 15 can be inserted. Preferably in the region of the downwardly facing end 16 of the insulation vessel 10 at least one heating element 17 and at least one storage element 18 are arranged.

Claims

1. A cooling device for the cooled storage of medical products, the cooler having: a cooling circuit comprising a compressor, at least one evaporator and a condenser; a closable cooling space with a plurality of cooling space sidewalls and a cooling space base; at least one cooling element; and an insulation vessel; wherein the at least one evaporator and the at least one cooling element are disposed within the cooling space; wherein a first side of the cooling element at least partially abuts the at least one evaporator and a second side of the cooling element faces the insulation vessel; wherein the insulation vessel is closed at least towards the at least one cooling element and forms a space for cooling goods; and wherein the first side of the cooling element abutting the at least one evaporator has at least one recess adapted to removably receive at least one removable cold accumulator.

2. The cooling device of claim 1, wherein the at least one removable cold accumulator is arranged within the at least one recess of the cooling element.

3. The cooling device of claim 1, wherein the cooling device comprises an electrical heater arranged in the region of a downwardly facing end of the insulation vessel.

4. The cooling device of claim 3, wherein the cooling device further comprises at least one heat storage element arranged in the region of the downwardly facing end of the insulation vessel.

5. The cooling device of claim 4, wherein the cooling device further comprises a spacer grid arranged to separate the space for cooling goods from the electrical heater and the heat storage element.

6. The cooling device of claim 1, wherein a region within the cooling space and outside of the space for cooling goods forms a freezing zone and the space for cooling goods formed by the insulation vessel forms a cooling zone for receiving the medical products.

7. The cooling device of claim 1, wherein the space for cooling goods further comprises a storage basket for storing the medical products and wherein the storage basket prevents contact between the medical products and the insulation vessel.

8. The cooling device of claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling element and the at least one removable cold accumulator contain a freezing substance and in which the freezing substance comprises a fluid which comprises water.

9. The cooling device of claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling element and the at least one removable cold accumulator comprise an inevitable dead volume serving as an expansion space for the freezing substance.

10. The cooling device of claim 1, wherein the cooling device further comprises a cold accumulator holder serving to insert and remove the at least one removable cold accumulator into and from the at least one recess of the at least one cooling element.

11. The cooling device of claim 10, wherein cold accumulator holder comprising a spring which resiliently holds the at least one cold accumulator against the at least one evaporator.

12. The cooling device of claim 1, wherein cold accumulator holder comprises a holding portion at its upper end for manipulation by a user.

13. The cooling device of claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling element comprises: at least one holder recess arranged at a position selected from an upper edge and a lower edge of the cooling element; and at least one holder received in the at least one holder recess; and wherein the at least one holder holds the at least one cooling element such that at least part of a surface of the at least one cooling element resiliently abuts the at least one cooling element.

14. The cooling device of claim 1, wherein the at least one recess in the at least one cooling element for receiving the at cool accumulator has inclined lateral surfaces and an inclined bottom surface.

15. The cooling device of claim 1, wherein the first side of the cooling element has at least one vertically arranged groove for the flow off of condensed water.

16. The cooling device of claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling element is secured by a covering frame attached to an upper edge of the cooling space, and wherein the covering frame has at least one opening for access to the at least one removable cold accumulator.

17. The cooling device of claim 1, wherein, when in use to store the medical products, the temperature in the space for cooling goods is controlled to remain between +2 C. and +8 C.

18. A cooling device for the cooled storage of medical products, the cooling device having: a cooling circuit comprising a compressor, at least one evaporator and a condenser; a closable cooling space; and; at least one freezable cooling element; wherein the at least one evaporator and the at least one freezable cooling element are secured within the cooling space so as to remain within the cooling space during use of the cooling device; wherein a first side of the freezable cooling element at least partially abuts the at least one evaporator; wherein the first side of the freezable cooling element abutting the at least one evaporator has at least one cold accumulator recess; and wherein at least one freezable cold accumulator is removably arranged within the at least one cold accumulator recess of the freezable cooling element so that the at least one freezable cold accumulator can be frozen when arrange within the at least one cold accumulator recess and removed from the cold accumulator recess once frozen.

Description

(1) A suitable embodiment of the cooling device according to the invention is described with respect to the following drawings wherein

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cooling device according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a cooling device according to the invention with cooling goods;

(4) FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of the cooling device according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a perspective front view of a cooling element according to the invention as well as a removable cold accumulator and a cold accumulator holder;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a perspective back view of a cooling element according to the invention as well as a removable cold accumulator and a cold accumulator holder;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a perspective detailed view of the insulation vessel according to the invention with heating element and storage elements; and

(8) FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a removable cold accumulator according to the invention.

(9) The cooling device 1 according to the invention shown in FIG. 1 is in the form of a freezer 2. However, further types of the cooling device are conceivable, for example as refrigerator. The freezer 2 is composed of a freezer body 45 that ends with a lid 41 and can be closed therewith. Within the freezer 2 there is a cooling space 6. In addition, the freezer 2 has an insulation vessel 10 that is disposed inside the cooling space 6 and that separates the space for cooling goods 13 from the cooling space 6. The area between the insulation vessel 10 and the cooling space 6 ends in a covering frame 34 at the upper edge of the cooling space 33. The covering frame 34 further has a plurality of openings 35 through which a removable cold accumulator 15 can be removed by means of a cold accumulator holder 27. Deviating from the illustrated embodiment, the cooling device 1 may also have more or less openings 35 and removable cold accumulators 15 with the covering frame 34 then having the number of openings 35 that corresponds to the number of removable cold accumulators 15.

(10) FIG. 2 shows the embodiment of a cooling device 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 wherein in the space for cooling goods 13 a storage facility, in the present example in the form of a grid basket 22, is inserted. The storage facility may also be in the form of a tableau or a similar suitable form. The storage facility is removable. The cooling goods 21 (schematic view) are inserted into the storage facility.

(11) The cooling device 1 according to the invention of FIG. 3 consists of a freezer 2 that has a cooling space 6 that is bounded by four cooling space side walls 7, the cooling space base 8 as well as a closable lid 40. On the surface of the cooling space sidewalls 7 facing the cooling space 6 an evaporator 5 is arranged such that it covers the surface of the cooling space sidewalls 7 facing the cooling space 6. Altogether, the cooling device 1 shown in the example has an evaporator 5. Moreover, the cooling device 1 has four cooling elements 9. These are attached on the surface of the evaporator 5 by holding clamps 38 in the mounted state. Further, the cooling space 6 of the present example has eight removable cold accumulators 15 and eight accompanying cold accumulator holders 27. However, also other numbers are conceivable. According to the number of removable cold accumulators 15 eight openings 35 are provided in the covering frame 34. Further, the space for cooling goods 13 is separated from an insulation vessel 10 that is closed towards the four cooling elements 9. The upper and lower ends of the insulation vessel 10 have openings. In the region of the lower end of the insulation vessel 10 a spacer grid 23 is arranged. Four storage elements 18 are provided on a receiving plate 37 below the spacer grid 23. Further, a heating element 17 is provided below the receiving plate 37. For receiving the cooling goods 21 the cooling device 1 has the storage facility in the form of a grid basket 22 that is inserted into the cooling space 13.

(12) In FIG. 4 a cooling element 9 together with two accompanying removable cold accumulators 15 as well as cold accumulator holders 27 are illustrated. The shown embodiment of the cooling elements 9, the removable cold accumulators 15 as well as the cold accumulator holders 27 corresponds to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3. The cooling element 9 has two recesses 14 on the first side 11, in the present example the back 11 of the cooling element 9. In the recesses 14 each one of the two removable cold accumulators 15 together with one of the two cold accumulator holders 27 is inserted. Further, the cooling element 9 according to the invention has inclined lateral surfaces 31 and an inclined bottom surface 31 in each of the recesses 14. For each recess 14 a vertical groove 3 follows the inclined surfaces 31 on the back 11 of the cooling element 9. Here, the inclination of the inclined surfaces 31 is selected such that the condensed water collected in the recess 14 flows towards the vertical groove and can flow off through the vertical groove 32 towards the lower edge of the cooling element 29. Hereby, when freezing the cooling element 9 and the accompanying removable cold accumulators 15 an ice formation in the recess 14 in response to forming condensed water is avoided. Further, three recesses 30 can be seen on the upper edge 28 of the cooling element 9 with each of which a holding means, here in the form of a holding clamp 38, engages. The holding clamp 38 seen at the lower edge 29 of the cooling element 9 also engages with a recess 30 at the lower edge 29 of the cooling element 9 that cannot be seen in the perspective view. By means of the holding clamps 38 engaging with the recesses 30 the cooling element 9 is fixed when mounted, wherein the back 11 of the cooling element 9 faces the evaporator 5. As seen in FIG. 4, the holding clamps 38 are made of a plate such that the holding clamps 3 resiliently press the cooling element 9 against the evaporator 5 and thus, the back 11 of the cooling element 9 is in contact with the surface of the evaporator 5. Like the holding means 38 also the cold accumulator holders 27 are made of a thin plate and here, have an arc-shaped deformation from their upper end 41 to their lower end 43. Said arc-shaped deformation causes the removable cold accumulators 15 to be pressed against the evaporator 5 as soon as the removable cold accumulators 15 are inserted into the recess 14 by means of the cold accumulator holders 27. Further, the cold accumulator holders 27 at their upper end 41 have a holding portion 42 at which the user of the cooling device 1 can ergonomically grab the cold accumulator holder 27.

(13) In FIG. 5 a cooling element 9 according to the invention together with two accompanying removable cold accumulators 15 as well as cold accumulator holders 27 are illustrated in accordance with the example described in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, wherein in FIG. 5 the front of the cooling element 12 is shown. On the front of the cooling element 12 four recesses 30 are present with each of which a holding means 38 engages to fix the cooling element 9 on the evaporator 5. As already explained above, the cooling element 9 in the illustrated embodiment has three recesses 30 at its upper edge 28 of the cooling element 9. The recess 30 not seen in FIG. 4 at the lower edge of the cooling element 29 can now be seen in FIG. 5. Further, there can be seen the two recesses 14 present on the back 11 of the cooling element 9 that each can receive a removable cold accumulator 15 and a cold accumulator holder 27. Further, the central recess 30 of the recesses 30 arranged at the upper edge 28 of the cooling element 9 has a re-closable opening 25 through which the cooling element 9 can be filled with water or a eutectic medium 24. The reclosable opening 25 is disposed deeper than the upper edge 28 of the cooling element 9 so that a dead volume 26 is formed above the re-closable opening 25. Hereby, the maximum filling level 39 of the cooling element 9 is defined. Said dead volume 26 serves as an expansion space for the water or the eutectic medium 24 during freezing. Moreover, on the two cold accumulator holders 27 at their upper ends 41 a holding portion 42 can be seen at which the user of the cooling device 1 can ergonomically grab the cold accumulator holder 27.

(14) FIG. 6 shows a detailed view of the insulating vessel 10 as well as the storage elements 18 and the heating element 17 which are arranged at the lower end 16 of the insulation vessel 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the cooling device 1 has four storage elements 18 that in case of falling below the minimum temperature in the space for cooling goods 13 emit the stored heat into the space for cooling goods 13. In order to avoid that the cooling goods 21 that are in the space for cooling goods 13 are heated too much upon contact with the storage elements 18 a spacer grid 23 is attached above the storage elements 18. In addition to the uniform tempering of the cooling goods 21 in the space for cooling goods 13 also an unauthorized removal of the storage elements 18 is prevented by the spacer grid 23. The storage elements 18 are held in the cooling device 1 in a receiving plate 37. A heating element 17 is located below the receiving plate 37. Said heating element 17, that is for example electrically operated, ensures that, as long as energy for the operation of the cooling device 1 is available, on the one hand the storage elements 18 are sufficiently charged with heat to avoid falling below the minimum temperature in the space for cooling goods 13 during the energy-free time. On the other hand, the heating element 17 ensures that falling below the minimum temperature in the space for cooling goods 13 is avoided by the evaporator 5 that is arranged around the insulation vessel in the freezing zone 19, the cooling elements 9 and the removable cold accumulators 15, as long as energy is available.

(15) In FIG. 7 a removable cold accumulator 15 according to the invention is illustrated. It can be seen that said removable cold accumulator 15 has a re-closable opening 25 through which the cold accumulator 15 can be filled with water or a eutectic medium 24. Since the re-closable opening 25 is disposed deeper than the highest point in the interior of the removable cold accumulator this results in a maximum filling height 39 that at the same time ensures that a dead volume 26 is formed above the maximum filling height 39 that functions as an expansion space during freezing of the water or the eutectic medium 24.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(16) 1: Cooling device 2: Freezer 3: Cooling circuit (not shown) 4: Compressor (not shown) 5: Evaporator 6: Cooling space 7: Cooling space sidewall 8: Cooling space base 9: Cooling element 10: Insulating vessel 11: First side of the cooling element 12: Second side of the cooling element 13: Space for cooling goods 14: Recess 15: Removable cold accumulator 16: Lower end 17: Heating element 18: Storage element 19: Freezing zone 20: Cooling zone (not shown) 21: Cooling goods (not shown) 22: Storage facility 23: Spacer grid 24: Eutectic Medium 25: Re-closable opening 26: Dead volume 27: Cold accumulator holder 28: Upper edge of the cooling element 29: Lower edge of the cooling element 30: Recess 31: Inclined lateral surfaces and inclined bottom surface 32: Vertical groove 33: upper edge of the cooling space 34: Covering frame 35: Openings 36: Contact surfaces (not shown) 37: Receiving plate 38: Holding means 39: Filling level 40: Lid 41: Upper end 42: Holding portion 43: Lower end 44: Condenser (not shown) 45: Freezer body