CONTAINER WITH PASSIVE TEMPERATURE CONTROLS

• US 20170350635A1
• Filed: 06/06/2016
• Published: 12/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Thirumurugavel, Ilangovan Poonjolai
• Application Number:
  US15/174,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20170350635A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/04 spring-loaded
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/00 Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/047 Pressure equalising devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0845 below the product
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/34 Temperature balancing devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/08 portable, i.e. adapted to be carried personally
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/14 portable, i.e. adapted to be carried personally
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods

Abstract

Delivering items to users by a delivery organization comprises a delivery container suitable to deliver items that require storage at a specific temperature range for the duration of the delivery. The delivery container may be a cube or a rectangular prism constructed of an insulating material. The delivery organization may position a panel in the delivery container to separate a chilled compartment from a compartment with a coolant. The panel between the compartments includes a pressure relief valve that opens when the pressure difference between the compartments reaches a set point. The open valve allows the chilled compartment to exchange air with the compartment with the coolant until the drop in the pressure difference allows the valve to close. The temperature in the chilled compartment is maintained in the desired range by the opening and closing of the valve.

Claims

1. A container assembly with multiple temperature compartments, comprising:

a first compartment in a container, the first compartment being formed by a bottom surface, four side walls, and a first top surface;

a second compartment in the container, the second compartment being formed by four side walls, a second top surface, and the first top surface of the first compartment, such that the first compartment is adjacent with the second compartment;

a coolant disposed in the first compartment; and

a pressure relief valve disposed between the first and second compartments such that a high pressure side of the pressure relief valve is positioned in the second compartment and a low pressure side of the pressure relief valve is positioned in the first compartment, wherein the pressure relief valve operates to control a temperature in the second compartment by opening to relieve pressure from the second compartment to the first compartment at a predetermined pressure difference between the second compartment and the first compartment.

2. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein a temperature of the second compartment is cooled by a configured temperature during a period when the pressure relief valve is open.

3. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the pressure relief valve further operates to control the temperature of the second compartment by closing at a rate that allows an exchange of air from the first compartment having the coolant therein to the second compartment.

4. The container assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a third compartment in the container, the third compartment being formed by four side walls, a third top surface, and the second top surface, such that the second compartment is adjacent with the third compartment; and

a second pressure relief valve disposed between the second and third compartments such that a high pressure side of the second pressure relief valve is positioned in the third compartment and a low pressure side of the second pressure relief valve is positioned in the second compartment, wherein the second pressure relief valve operates to control a temperature in the third compartment by opening to relieve pressure from the third compartment to the second compartment at a predetermined pressure difference between the second compartment and the third compartment.

5. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the temperature in the second compartment is lowered when the pressure relief valve is opened due to a combination of a reduction in the pressure in the second compartment and an exchange of air from the first compartment having the coolant therein to the second compartment.

6. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the pressure relief valve operates to control the temperature of the second compartment within a predetermined range of temperature above freezing.

7. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the pressure in the second compartment increases while the pressure relief valve is closed due to the temperature of the second compartment increasing because of heat exchange through the second compartment side walls and top surface.

8. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the pressure relief valve is positioned in the first top surface.

9. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the container forms a rectangular prism.

10. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the first top surface of the first compartment is positioned such that the first compartment and the second compartment are of different sizes.

11. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the first top surface of the first compartment is constructed of an insulating material.

12. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the coolant is dry ice.

13. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the coolant is water ice.

14. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the coolant is selected based on an ambient temperature, desired temperatures of the first and second compartments, and an expected time for maintaining the temperature of the second compartment at or below a desired temperature.

15. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein materials of the compartments are determined based on an ambient temperature, a desired temperature of the first and second compartments, and an expected time until delivery.

16. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein materials of the container and the compartment are selected from plastic, cardboard, or foam.

17. A method to assemble and pack a container assembly to store items requiring cooling, comprising:

receiving at least one item, the item requiring a temperature range for storage;

selecting an appropriately sized container with an outer container wall forming a bottom surface and four side walls;

positioning a first compartment in the container;

positioning a second compartment in the container adjacent to the first compartment;

depositing a coolant placed in the first compartment, the coolant having cooling characteristics to maintain a temperature of the first compartment at or below a first temperature; and

positioning a pressure relief valve mounted such that a high pressure side of the pressure relief valve is positioned in the second compartment and the low pressure side of the pressure relief valve is positioned in the first compartment, wherein the pressure relief valve is operable to relieve pressure from the second compartment to the first compartment at a predetermined pressure difference between the second compartment and the first compartment, and wherein the pressure relief valve is operable to close at a second predetermined pressure difference between the second compartment and the first compartment.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the temperature of the second compartment is cooled to a second configured temperature during a period when the pressure relief valve is open.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the pressure relief valve is configured to allow an exchange of air from the second compartment and the first compartment.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the temperature in the second compartment is lowered when the pressure relief valve is opened due to a combination of a reduction in the pressure in the second compartment and an exchange of air with the first compartment.