THERMALLY-CONTROLLED PACKAGING DEVICE AND METHOD OF MAKING

• US 20110083826A1
• Filed: 10/12/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonoco Development Inc (Sonoco Products Company)
• Original Assignee: Tegrant Diversified Brands Incorporated (Sonoco Products Company)
• Inventors: Maltas, Kenneth, Vaught, Jeremy, Matta, Auston Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,443,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/104.13
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/14 the preformed part being a lining B29C44/1209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/34 Auxiliary operations
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/18 providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient with thermal insulation B65D81/38; ice-boxes with cooling means F25D
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 5/066 Cooling mixtures; De-icing compositions
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/065 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0831 the liquid is disposed in the space between the walls of the container
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2331/804 Boxes
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/08 portable, i.e. adapted to be carried personally
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/023 the latent heat storage material being enclosed in granular particles or dispersed in a porous, fibrous or cellular structure
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/003 by using permeable mass, perforated or porous materials F28F13/18 takes precedence

Abstract

A phase change device for controlling temperature within a confined environment, comprising a foam material, a phase change material, the phase change material being absorbed into the foam, and a protective covering encasing the foam material/phase change material. A method for making a phase change device for controlling temperature within a confined environment, comprising providing a phase change material, providing a foam material, absorbing the phase change material into the foam material, and sealing the foam material/phase change material within a protective covering.

Claims

1. A phase change device for controlling temperature within an environment, comprising:

a foam material with both macropores and micropores connected to macropores, wherein the foam material is characterized as having macropores of a diameter between about 100 to 400 microns, and micropores of a diameter between about 0.5 to 100 microns;

a phase change material, the phase change material being absorbed into the foam material; and

a protective covering encasing the foam material and phase change material.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the foam material is selected from the group consisting of phenolic foam, phenol-aldehyde resol resin, phenol derivatives, polyurethanes, polystyrenes, and mixtures and combinations thereof.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the micropores are in a lattice within a macropore.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the foam material is characterized as having a density between about 0.00069 to 0.00084 pounds per cubic inch.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the phase change material is selected from the group consisting of salts, hydrated salts, fatty acids, paraffins, and solutions and mixtures thereof.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the phase change material is a salt solution comprising sodium chloride, the salt composition being between about 20 to 23 weight percent of the solution.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the phase change material is absorbed into the foam material at greater than about 91 percent by volume, and greater than about 98 percent by weight.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein temperature is controlled between about −

19 to −

21 degrees Celsius.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the protective covering comprises a Nylon layer, an adhesive layer, a white polyethylene layer, and an LLDPE sealant layer.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the protective covering comprises a 60g Biax Nylon layer, an ink layer having a thickness of about 0.03 mils, an adhesive layer having a thickness of about 0.07 mils, and a white LLDPE layer having a thickness of about 2.5 mils.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the foam material is selected from the group consisting of phenolic foam, phenol-aldehyde resol resin, phenol derivatives, polyurethanes, polystyrenes, and mixtures and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the micropores are in a lattice within a macropore.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the foam material is characterized as having a density between about 0.00069 to 0.00084 pounds per cubic inch.

11. A method for making a phase change device for controlling temperature within a environment, comprising:

providing a phase change material;

providing a foam material having both macropores and micropores connected to macropores, wherein the foam material is characterized as having macropores of a diameter between about 100 to 400 microns, and micropores of a diameter between about 0.5 to 100 microns;

a step for absorbing the phase change material into the foam material; and

a step for sealing the foam material/phase change material within a protective covering.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the phase change material is selected from the group consisting of salts, hydrated salts, fatty acids, paraffins, and solutions and mixtures thereof.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the phase change material is a salt solution comprising sodium chloride, the salt composition being between about 20 to 23 weight percent of the solution.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the phase change material is absorbed into the foam material at greater than about 91 percent by volume.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein temperature is controlled between about −

19 to −

21 degrees Celsius.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the protective covering comprises a Nylon layer, an adhesive layer, a white polyethylene layer, and an LLDPE sealant layer.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein step of absorbing the phase change material into the foam material is accomplished in between about 15 to 45 seconds.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of providing a foam material comprises providing a foam material workpiece wherein the average thickness to surface area ratio ranges from about 1% to about 8%.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein the phase change material is absorbed into the foam material at greater than about 98 percent by weight.

23. The method of claim 11, further comprising forming with a portion of the protective covering a pocket to receive the foam material and to hold the phase change material during absorption of the phase change material into the foam material.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of forming the pocket comprises forming a pocket with a depth greater than the thickness of the foam material received in the pocket.

25. A device produced by the method of claim 11.

26. A phase change device for controlling temperature within an environment, comprising:

a means for changing phase that changes from a liquid to a solid and back to a liquid at a desired phase change temperature;

a shape-stable means for absorbing the means for changing phase in its liquid form, so as to absorbed into the means for absorbing at greater than about 91 percent by volume of the means for absorbing, and at greater than about 98 percent by weight of the combined means for changing phase and means for absorbing; and

a protective covering encasing the means for changing phase and means for absorbing.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the means for absorbing is a foam selected from the group consisting of phenolic foam, phenol-aldehyde resol resin, phenol derivatives, polyurethanes, polystyrenes, and mixtures and combinations thereof.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein foam has micropores and macropores and at least a portion of the micropores are in a lattice within a macropore.

29. The device of claim 27, wherein the foam is characterized as having a density between about 0.00069 to 0.00084 pounds per cubic inch.

30. The device of claim 26 wherein the means for changing phase is selected from the group consisting of salts, hydrated salts, fatty acids, paraffins, and solutions, derivatives and mixtures thereof.

31. The device of claim 26, wherein the means for changing phase is a salt solution comprising sodium chloride, the salt composition being between about 20 to 23 weight percent of the solution.