Temperature-stabilized storage containers with directed access

• US 20120168448A1
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tokitae LLC A Limited Liability Company of The State of Delaware
• Original Assignee: Tokitae LLC A Limited Liability Company of The State of Delaware
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Jung, Edward K.Y., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Gates, William H. III, Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US13/385,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20120168448A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/592.26
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3811 formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3823 formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3897 formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/30 in transportation, e.g. on roads, waterways or railways

Abstract

Systems include one or more storage containers. A container may include one or more segments of a first ultra efficient insulation material shaped to define at least one substantially temperature-stabilized storage region, and an access region, including at least one region of the one or more segments of ultra efficient insulation material configured for at least one perforation by a perforation device, wherein one or more of the at least one perforation is configured to provide for a controlled egress of a discrete quantity of material from the at least one storage region.

Claims

1. A substantially thermally sealed storage container, comprising:

one or more segments of a first ultra efficient insulation material shaped to define at least one substantially temperature-stabilized storage region, wherein the first ultra-efficient insulation material includes at least two layers of thermal reflective film separated by vacuum; and

an access region, including at least one region of the one or more segments of a first ultra efficient insulation material configured for at least one perforation by a perforation device, wherein one or more of the at least one perforation is configured to provide for a controlled egress of a quantity of a material from the at least one storage region

wherein the substantially thermally sealed storage container does not include one or more heat sink units.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the container does not include one or more active cooling units.

4. The container of claim 1, comprising:

at least one thermally sealable cover external to the at least one region of the one or more segments of a first ultra efficient insulation material configured for at least one perforation by a perforation device, wherein the at least one thermally sealable cover includes a sealing portion positioned for mating to the at least one region of the one or more segments of a first ultra efficient insulation material configured for at least one perforation by a perforation device.

7. The container of claim 1, comprising:

at least one thermally sealable supplemental segment shaped to substantially replace the one or more segments of a first ultra efficient insulation material configured for at least one perforation by a perforation device, wherein the at least one supplemental segment includes a third ultra efficient insulation material.

9. The container of claim 1, wherein the one or more segments of a first ultra efficient insulation material include low thermal conductivity bead-like units.

10. The container of claim 1, wherein the one or more segments of a first ultra efficient insulation material include at least one superinsulation material.

11. The container of claim 1, wherein the one or more segments of a first ultra efficient insulation material include at least two layers of thermal reflective material separated from each other by magnetic suspension.

12. The container of claim 1, wherein the one or more segments of a first 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.

13. The container of claim 1, comprising:

at least one exterior wall; and

at least one interior wall, wherein one or more of the at least one exterior wall and one or more of the at least one interior wall are movable relative to each other and wherein the relative movement of the at least one exterior wall and the at least one interior wall facilitates access to the at least one storage region.

15. The container of claim 1, comprising:

one or more markings on an exterior of the container identifying one or more of the at least one region of the one or more segments of a first ultra efficient insulation material configured for at least one perforation by a perforation device.

16. The container of claim 1, comprising:

a framework attached to an exterior of the container identifying one or more of the at least one region of the one or more segments of a first ultra efficient insulation material configured for at least one perforation by a perforation device.

17. The container of claim 1, comprising:

at least one movable perforation unit stored within a storage structure, wherein the at least one perforation unit may move to pierce through the one or more segments of a first ultra efficient insulation material configured for at least one perforation by a perforation device.

19. The at least one perforation unit of claim 17, wherein the at least one movable perforation unit is replaceable.

20. The container of claim 1, comprising:

at least one movable perforation unit stored external to a storage structure, wherein the perforation unit may move to pierce through the one or more segments of a first ultra efficient insulation material configured for at least one perforation by a perforation device.

22. The at least one perforation unit of claim 20, wherein the at least one perforation unit is replaceable.

23. The container of claim 1, comprising:

at least one temperature indicator.

24. The container of claim 1, comprising:

one or more sensors.

26. The container of claim 1, comprising:

one or more communications devices.

28. The 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 storage region.

29. The 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 storage region, wherein the at least one metal includes silver.

31. The container of claim 1, wherein the one or more segments of a first ultra efficient insulation material define a plurality of substantially temperature-stabilized storage regions.

32. The 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.

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33. A substantially thermally sealed storage container, comprising:

a storage structure, including;

one or more segments of ultra efficient insulation material shaped to define at least one substantially temperature-stabilized storage region, wherein the ultra-efficient insulation material includes at least two layers of thermal reflective film separated by vacuum; and

an access structure, including;

at least one region of the one or more segments of ultra efficient insulation material which may be displaced to allow for a transient insertion of at least one egress structure to provide for a controlled egress of a discrete quantity of a material from the at least one storage region;

wherein the substantially thermally sealed storage container does not include one or more heat sink units.

34. The container of claim 33, wherein the container does not include one or more active cooling units.

36. The container of claim 33, wherein one or more of the at least one egress structure is a hollow tube-like structure.

37. The container of claim 33, wherein one or more of the at least one egress structure is configured to include an elongated thermal pathway.

39. The container of claim 33, wherein the one or more segments of ultra efficient insulation material include at least one superinsulation material.

40. The container of claim 33, wherein the one or more segments of ultra efficient insulation material include at least two layers of thermal reflective material separated from each other by magnetic suspension.

41. The container of claim 33, wherein the one or more segments 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.

43. The container of claim 33, comprising:

at least one egress structure within the at least one storage region which may be transiently inserted from an interior of the container to an exterior of the container to provide for the controlled egress of a quantity of a material from the at least one storage region.

45. The container of claim 33, comprising:

at least one egress structure external to the container which may be transiently inserted from the exterior of the container to an interior of an container to provide for the controlled egress of a quantity of a material from the at least one storage region.

47. The container of claim 33, comprising:

a thermally-insulated cover including a sealing portion that includes a second ultra efficient insulation material, wherein the sealing portion is positioned for mating to the at least one region of the one or more segments of ultra efficient insulation material which may be displaced.

48. The container of claim 33, comprising:

one or more markings on an exterior of the container identifying the at least one region of the one or more segments of ultra efficient insulation material which may be displaced.

49. The container of claim 33, comprising:

a framework attached to an exterior of the container identifying the at least one region of the one or more segments of ultra efficient insulation material which may be displaced.

50. The container of claim 33, comprising:

an exterior wall; and

an interior wall, wherein the interior wall and the exterior wall are movable relative to each other, and the relative movement of the exterior wall to the interior wall alters the accessability of one or more of the at least one region of the one or more segments of ultra efficient insulation material which may be displaced.

51. The container of claim 33, comprising:

at least one temperature indicator.

52. The container of claim 33, comprising:

one or more sensors.

54. The container of claim 33, comprising:

one or more communications devices.

56. The container of claim 33, comprising:

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

57. The container of claim 33, comprising:

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

59. The container of claim 33, wherein the one or more segments of ultra efficient insulation material define a plurality of substantially temperature-stabilized storage regions.

60. The container of claim 33, 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.

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