Temperature-stabilized storage systems

• US 20090145164A1
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokitae LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Jung, Edward K.Y., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. JR., Hyde, Roderick A., Gates, William H. III
• Granted Patent: US 9,174,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/448
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3813 rigid container being in the form of a box, tray or like container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3825 rigid container being in the form of a box, tray or like container with one or more containers located inside the external container
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/08 portable, i.e. adapted to be carried personally
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/30 in transportation, e.g. on roads, waterways or railways

Abstract

Systems include at least one substantially thermally sealed storage container, including an outer assembly including one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material substantially defining at least one thermally sealed storage region, and an inner assembly including one or more interlocks configured to provide controllable egress of a quantity of a material from one or more of the at least one thermally sealed storage region.

Claims

1. A substantially thermally sealed storage container, comprising:

an outer assembly including one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material substantially defining at least one thermally sealed storage region and including an outer assembly interlock; and

an inner assembly including one or more interlocks configured to provide controllable egress of a quantity of a material from one or more of the at least one thermally sealed storage region to the outer assembly interlock.

2. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more interlocks are mechanically operable interlocks.

4. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more interlocks operate independently of an electrical power source.

5. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, wherein the container includes no active cooling units.

6. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, wherein the one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material include at least one superinsulation material.

7. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, wherein the one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material include:

at least two layers of thermal reflective material separated from each other by magnetic suspension.

8. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, wherein the one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material include:

at least one layer of thermal reflective material; and

at least one spacer unit adjacent to the at least one layer of thermal reflective material.

9. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, comprising:

one or more heat sink units thermally connected to one or more of the at least one thermally sealed storage region.

11. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, comprising:

at least one layer of nontoxic material on an interior surface of one or more of the at least one thermally sealed storage region.

12. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, comprising:

at least one layer including at least one metal on an interior surface of one or more of the at least one thermally sealed storage region.

15. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, wherein the outer assembly including one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material substantially defines a plurality of thermally sealed storage regions.

16. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, comprising:

one or more temperature indicators.

17. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, comprising:

one or more sensors.

19. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, comprising:

one or more communications devices.

20. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 19, wherein the one or more communications devices includes at least one:

one or more recording devices, one or more transmission devices, one or more display devices, or one or more receivers.

21. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, comprising:

at least one region within an interior of the container that is at a higher gaseous pressure than the atmospheric pressure exterior to the container.

22. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, comprising:

at least one authentication device, wherein the at least one authentication device is operably connected to at least one of the one or more interlocks.

23. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, comprising:

at least one logging device, wherein the at least one logging device is operably connected to at least one of the one or more interlocks.

24. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 1, comprising:

at least one control ingress device, wherein the at least one control ingress device is operably connected to at least one of the one or more interlocks.

3. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

13-14. -14. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

25. A substantially thermally sealed storage container, comprising:

an outer assembly including one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material defining at least one substantially thermally sealed storage region; and

an inner assembly including;

one or more interlocks including at least one first selectively operable passageway between one or more of the at least one storage region and at least one intermediate region;

one or more interlocks including at least one second selectively operable passageway between the at least one intermediate region and an exterior of the container; and

one or more actuators operably coupled to one or more of the at least one first or second selectively operable passageway configured to open or close said passageway.

26. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, wherein the one or more interlocks are mechanically operable interlocks.

28. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, wherein at least one of the one or more interlocks operate independently of an electrical power source.

29. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, wherein at least one of the one or more interlocks include at least one magnet.

30. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, wherein the container includes no active cooling units.

31. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, wherein there are two or more intermediate regions between one or more of the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage region of the container and the exterior of the container.

32. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, comprising:

at least one externally-operable closure operably coupled to one or more of the at least one second selectively operable passageway.

33. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, wherein the one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material include:

at least two layers of thermal reflective material separated from each other by magnetic suspension.

34. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, wherein the one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material include:

at least one layer of thermal reflective material; and

at least one spacer unit adjacent to the at least one layer of thermal reflective material.

35. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, wherein the one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material include at least one superinsulation material.

36. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, comprising:

one or more heat sink units thermally connected to one or more of the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage region.

38. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, comprising:

at least one layer of nontoxic material on an interior surface of one or more of the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage region.

39. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, comprising:

at least one layer including at least one metal on an interior surface of one or more of the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage region.

42. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, wherein there are a plurality of storage regions within the container.

43. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, comprising:

one or more temperature indicators.

44. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, comprising:

one or more sensors.

46. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, comprising:

one or more communications devices.

48. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, comprising:

at least one compartment within one or more of the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage region, wherein the at least one compartment is at a higher gaseous pressure than the exterior atmospheric pressure of the container.

49. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, comprising:

at least one authentication device, wherein the at least one authentication device is operably connected to at least one of the one or more interlocks.

50. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, comprising:

at least one logging device, wherein the at least one logging device is operably connected to at least one of the one or more interlocks.

51. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 25, comprising:

at least one control ingress device, wherein the at least one control ingress device is operably connected to at least one of the one or more interlocks.

27. (canceled)

37. (canceled)

40-41. -41. (canceled)

45. (canceled)

47. (canceled)

52. A substantially thermally sealed storage container, comprising:

a structural assembly including one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material primarily defining at least one substantially thermally sealed storage region; and

an outlet assembly including one or more outlet channels, wherein the one or more outlet channels are arranged to provide controllable egress of a quantity of a stored material from the at least one storage region, and the one or more outlet channels substantially follow an extended thermal pathway.

53. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 52, comprising:

at least one externally-controllable opening between at least one of the one or more outlet channels and one or more of the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage region.

54. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 52, comprising:

at least one externally-controllable opening between at least one of the one or more outlet channels and the exterior of the container.

55. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 52, wherein the container includes no active cooling units.

56. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 52, wherein the one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material include:

at least two layers of thermal reflective material separated from each other by magnetic suspension.

57. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 52, wherein the one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material include:

at least one layer of thermal reflective material; and

at least one spacer unit adjacent to the at least one layer of thermal reflective material.

58. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 52, wherein the one or more sections of ultra efficient insulation material include at least one superinsulation material.

59. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 52, comprising:

one or more heat sink units thermally connected to one or more of the at least one storage region.

61. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 52, comprising:

at least one layer of nontoxic material on an interior surface of one or more of the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage region.

62. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 52, comprising:

at least one layer including at least one metal on an interior surface of one or more of the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage region.

65. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 52, comprising:

one or more temperature indicators.

66. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 52, comprising:

one or more sensors.

68. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 52, comprising:

one or more communications devices.

70. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 52, comprising:

at least one compartment within one or more of the at least one substantially thermally sealed storage region that is at a higher gaseous pressure than the atmospheric pressure outside of the container.

71. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 52, comprising:

at least one authentication device, wherein the at least one authentication device is operably connected to at least one of the one or more outlet channels.

72. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 52, comprising:

at least one logging device, wherein the at least one logging device is operably connected to at least one of the one or more outlet channels.

73. The substantially thermally sealed storage container of claim 52, comprising:

at least one control ingress device, wherein the at least one control ingress device is operably connected to at least one of the one or more interlocks.

60. (canceled)

63-64. -64. (canceled)

67. (canceled)

69. (canceled)