Portable cooler with active temperature control

• US 10,852,047 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2019
• Issued: 12/01/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ember Lifesciences Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ember Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Alexander, Clayton, Leith, Daren John, Timperi, Mikko Juhani, Wakeham, Christopher Thomas, Emmert, Jacob William, Koch, Joseph Lyle, Baumann, Frank Victor, Lin, Clifton Texas, Roknaldin, Farzam, Stabb, Mark Channing
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, Elizabeth J
• Application Number:
  US16/565,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20190390890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/04 reversible
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/0211 of fans
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/0212 of electric power, current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/0251 by a gas
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/003 Transport containers
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/06 by forced circulation
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/34 Temperature balancing devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/36 Visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/40 Refrigerating devices characterised by electrical wiring
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/12 Sensors measuring the inside temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 31/00 Other cooling or freezing apparatus

Abstract

A portable cooler container with active temperature control system is provided. The active temperature control system is operated to heat or cool a chamber of a vessel to approach a temperature set point suitable for a medication stored in the cooler container.

Claims

1. A portable cooler container with active temperature control, comprising:

a container body having a vacuum insulated chamber configured to receive and hold one or more containers of medicine;

a lid removably coupleable or hingedly coupleable to the container body to access the chamber; and

a temperature control system disposed in the container body between an outer container wall and the vacuum insulated chamber, the temperature control system comprising

one or more thermoelectric elements in thermal communication with an inner wall surface of the vacuum insulated chamber and operable to actively heat or cool at least a portion of the chamber, and

circuitry configured to control an operation of the one or more thermoelectric elements to heat or cool at least a portion of the vacuum insulated chamber to a predetermined temperature or temperature range; and

an electronic display screen configured to selectively display shipping information for the portable cooler container.

2. The portable cooler container of claim 1, further comprising a button or touch screen manually actuatable by a user to automatically switch sender information and recipient information on the display screen to facilitate return of the portable cooler container to a sender.

3. The portable cooler container of claim 2, further comprising one or more temperature sensors configured to sense a temperature in the vacuum insulated chamber and one or more GPS sensors configured to sense a location of the container, the one or more temperature sensors and one or more GPS sensors configured to communicate the sensed temperature data and location data to the circuitry, the circuitry configured to one or more of:

a) store the sensed temperature data and location data in a memory of the container, b) wirelessly communicate the sensed temperature data and location data to a cloud-based data storage system, and c) wirelessly communicate the sensed temperature data and location data to a remote electronic device.

4. The portable container of claim 3, further comprising one or more motion sensors configured to sense a motion of the container body and to communicate sensed motion data to the circuitry, the circuitry configured to one or more of:

a) store the sensed motion data in the memory of the container, b) wirelessly communicate the sensed motion data to the cloud-based data storage system, and c) wirelessly communicate the sensed motion data to the remote electronic device.

5. The portable container of claim 4, wherein the circuitry stores the sensed temperature data and sensed GPS data and sensed motion data in the memory of the container and one or both of wirelessly communicates the sensed temperature data and GPS data and motion data to the cloud-based data storage system and wirelessly communicates the sensed temperature data and GPS data and motion data to the remote electronic device.

6. The portable container of claim 3, wherein the one or more thermoelectric elements are in thermal communication with the inner wall surface of the vacuum insulated chamber through a wall of the vacuum insulated chamber and are operable to heat or cool the vacuum insulated chamber via conduction heat transfer through the wall of the vacuum insulated chamber.

7. The portable cooler container of claim 1, wherein the container body comprises an outer peripheral wall and a bottom portion attached to the outer peripheral wall, the vacuum insulated chamber suspended relative to the outer peripheral wall to define a hollow gap between the vacuum insulated chamber and the outer peripheral wall the gap being under vacuum, a base spaced apart from the bottom portion to define a cavity between the base and the bottom portion.

8. The portable cooler container of claim 7, wherein the temperature control system further comprises a heat sink unit in thermal communication with one side of the one or more thermoelectric elements and one or more fans, the one or more fans operable to draw air through one or more air intake openings and flow air past the heat sink unit to remove heat from the heat sink unit and flow said air out through one or more exhaust openings, the circuitry configured to operate the one or more thermoelectric elements and the one or more fans to heat or cool at least a portion of the vacuum insulated chamber to the predetermined temperature or temperature range.

9. The portable cooler container of claim 8, wherein the container body further comprises one or more electrical contacts configured to contact one or more electrical contacts of a power base when the container body is placed on the power base so that the circuitry controls the operation of the one or more thermoelectric elements and one or more fans when the container body is on the power base.

10. The portable container of claim 8, further comprising one or more electrical connectors connectable to a power source to one or both of power the temperature control system and charge one or more batteries of the container.

11. The portable container of claim 1, wherein the display screen is an electrophoretic display screen.

12. A portable cooler container with active temperature control, comprising:

a container body having a vacuum insulated chamber configured to receive and hold one or more containers of medicine; and

a temperature control system disposed in the container body between an outer container wall and the vacuum insulated chamber, the temperature control system comprising

one or more thermoelectric elements in thermal communication with an inner wall surface of the vacuum insulated chamber and operable to actively heat or cool at least a portion of the chamber, and

circuitry configured to control an operation of the one or more thermoelectric elements to heat or cool at least a portion of the vacuum insulated chamber to a predetermined temperature or temperature range; and

an electronic display screen actuatable to display shipping address information for the portable cooler container.

13. The portable cooler container of claim 12, further comprising a button or touch screen manually actuatable by a user to automatically switch sender information and recipient information on the display screen to facilitate return of the portable cooler container to a sender.

14. The portable cooler container of claim 13, further comprising one or more temperature sensors configured to sense a temperature in the vacuum insulated chamber and one or more GPS sensors configured to sense a location of the container, the one or more temperature sensors and one or more GPS sensors configured to communicate the sensed temperature data and location data to the circuitry, the circuitry configured to one or more of:

a) store the sensed temperature data and location data in a memory of the container, b) wirelessly communicate the sensed temperature data and location data to a cloud-based data storage system, and c) wirelessly communicate the sensed temperature data and location data to a remote electronic device.

15. The portable container of claim 14, further comprising one or more motion sensors configured to sense a motion of the container body and to communicate sensed motion data to the circuitry, the circuitry configured to one or more of:

a) store the sensed motion data in the memory of the container, b) wirelessly communicate the sensed motion data to the cloud-based data storage system, and c) wirelessly communicate the sensed motion data to the remote electronic device.

16. The portable container of claim 15, wherein the circuitry stores the sensed temperature data and sensed GPS data and sensed motion data in the memory of the container and one or both of wirelessly communicates the sensed temperature data and GPS data and motion data to the cloud-based data storage system and wirelessly communicates the sensed temperature data and GPS data and motion data to the remote electronic device.

17. The portable container of claim 14, wherein the one or more thermoelectric elements are in thermal communication with the inner wall surface of the vacuum insulated chamber through a wall of the vacuum insulated chamber and are operable to heat or cool the vacuum insulated chamber via conduction heat transfer through the wall of the vacuum insulated chamber.

18. The portable cooler container of claim 12, wherein the body comprises an outer peripheral wall and a bottom portion attached to the outer peripheral wall, the vacuum insulated chamber suspended relative to the outer peripheral wall to define a gap between the vacuum insulated chamber and the outer peripheral wall the gap being under vacuum, a base spaced apart from the bottom portion to define a cavity between the base and the bottom portion.

19. The portable cooler container of claim 18, wherein the temperature control system further comprises a heat sink unit in thermal communication with one side of the one or more thermoelectric elements and one or more fans, the one or more fans operable to draw air through one or more air intake openings and flow air past the heat sink unit to remove heat from the heat sink unit and flow said air out through one or more exhaust openings, the circuitry configured to operate the one or more thermoelectric elements and the one or more fans to heat or cool at least a portion of the vacuum insulated chamber to the predetermined temperature or temperature range.

20. The portable container of claim 19, further comprising one or more electrical connectors connectable to a power source to one or both of power the temperature control system and charge one or more batteries of the container.

21. The portable container of claim 12, wherein the display screen is an electrophoretic display screen.