Transport Container System and Method

• US 20170073147A1
• Filed: 04/10/2015
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: va-Q-tec AG
• Original Assignee: va-Q-tec AG
• Inventors: Kuhn, Joachim
• Granted Patent: US 10,287,085 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/02 Removable lids or covers with means for piercing, cutting, or tearing a frangible inner closure B65D51/22
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3823 formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls
• 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 2201/14 using subatmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/08222 Shape of the element
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0843 on the side of the product
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0844 above the product
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0845 below the product
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/06 Movable containers
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/08 portable, i.e. adapted to be carried personally

Abstract

A transport-container system has at least one container with a base, a casing and a top, and having inner-wall elements, which are arranged on the inner surfaces of the walls of the container and can be removed from the container and inserted into the container. Each inner-wall element has predetermined dimensions matching those of the associated inner surface of the container. At least as far as some of the inner-wall elements are concerned, the transport-container system has a number of embodiments with at least substantially the same dimensions, wherein it is possible to insert optionally one of the embodiments of inner-wall elements at the position in the container which is envisaged for the relevant inner-wall element. A method i s for providing a container of a transport-container system with correspondingly different embodiments of inner-wall elements.

Claims

1. A transport container system having at least one container that has a base, a casing and a lid, having inner wall elements that are arranged on the walls of the container on the inner faces thereof and may boare removed from the container and inserted into the container,

wherein each inner wall element has predetermined dimensions that correspond to the associated inner face of the container, wherein

at least in the case of some of the inner wall elements a plurality of versions having the same dimensions are part of the transport container system,

the inner wall elements in the plurality of versions are exchangeable for one another in the container and

each of the inner wall elements is heat storage element or a vacuum insulation panel, or a place-holder element having less thermal insulation effect than the vacuum insulation panel.

2. The transport container system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner wall elements are arranged in the container at all the inner faces.

3. The transport container system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base and the casing of the container are integrally constructed and the container is closed by the lid.

4. The transport container system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container has an outer container and an inner container that is fitted inside the outer container, and

the inner container comprises inner container wall elements that are removed and inserted individually.

5. The transport container system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the inner container wall elements take the form of heat insulation elements, and

wherein at least two versions of the inner container wall elements are provided, namely at least one version as an inner container vacuum insulation panel and a further version as a place-holder element having less thermal insulation than the vacuum insulation panel.

6. The transport container system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the inner wall elements and the inner container wall elements have matching properties.

7. The transport container system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the inner wall elements and the inner container wall elements are of plate-like construction, and are beveled to fit one another at the mutually facing edges.

8. The transport container system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the inner wall elements or the inner container wall elements that take the form of place-holder elements are made from plastics, from paper/cardboard, from wood, or from lightweight building material.

9. The transport container system as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least one of the inner wall elements and the inner container wall elements that take the form of place-holder elements has at least one cutout for receiving a functional element.

10. The transport container system as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least one of the inner wall elements and the inner container wall elements that take the form of a place-holder element is made from a material that stores and regulates moisture.

16. The transport container system of claim 1, wherein each of the inner wall elements is the heat storage element.

17. The transport container system of claim 1, wherein each of the inner wall elements is the vacuum insulation panel.

18. The transport container system of claim 1, wherein each of the inner wall elements is the place-holder element having less thermal insulation effect that a vacuum insulation panel.

19. The transport container system of claim 1, wherein the inner wall elements are a combination of the heat storage element and the place-holder element having less thermal insulation effect than a vacuum insulation panel.

20. The transport container system of claim 1, wherein the inner wall elements are a combination of the heat storage element, the vacuum panel, and the place-holder element having less thermal effect than the vacuum insulation panel.

11. A method for equipping a container of a transport container system,

wherein the container has a base, a casing and a lid,

wherein inner wall elements are arranged on walls of the container on inner faces thereof,

wherein each of the inner wall elements has predetermined dimensions that correspond to the associated inner face of the container, and

wherein the inner wall elements are inserted into the container and removed from the container, the method comprising:

a. providing a selection of the inner wall elements for the container, each of the inner wall elements being a heat storage element or a vacuum insulation panel, or a thermally insulating place-holder element having less thermal insulation than the vacuum insulation panel;

b. selecting all the inner wall elements for the container from the inner wall elements that were provided in method step a; and

c. inserting the inner wall elements which were selected in method step b, inside the container.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the inner wall elements in method step a are provided in three versions, namely as a latent heat storage element or another heat storage element in a first version, as a vacuum insulation panel in a second version and as a thermally insulating place-holder element having less thermal insulation effect than the vacuum insulation panel in a third version, or in that the inner wall elements in method step a are provided in four versions, namely as a latent heat storage element in a first version, as another heat storage element in a second version, as a vacuum insulation panel in a third version and as a thermally insulating place-holder element having less thermal insulation effect than a the vacuum insulation panel in a fourth version.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, comprising the following further method steps:

d. providing a selection of inner container wall elements for an inner container that are fitted into an outer container of the container;

e. selecting all the inner container wall elements for the inner container from the inner container wall elements that were provided in method step d; and

f. fitting the inner container wall elements that were selected in method step e into the outer container.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the inner container wall elements that take the form of thermal insulation elements are provided in method step a, in which case the inner container wall elements are provided in at least two versions, namely as a vacuum insulation panel in at least one version and as a thermally insulating place-holder element having less thermal insulation effect than the vacuum insulation panel in a second version.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the inner wall elements or the inner container wall elements that take the form of thermally insulating place-holder elements are made from plastics, from paper/cardboard or from wood, or from lightweight building material.