BACKGROUND

[0001] The shipment of temperature - sensitive goods is extremely difficult when the shipping container itself is not independendy temperature - controlled; ie., does not have an independent power source for maintaining interior temperatures within close parameters.

[0002] Goods such as medical supplies, blood, and vaccines are often extremely temperature sensitive and need to be maintained within a given temperature range. Transport of such goods is particularly challenging. Such temperature sensitive goods are shipped to a variety of destinations where the ambient outside temperature varies from extreme cold to extreme heat.

[0003] One known solution is to use shipping containers with exceptionally thick layers of insulation. However, the small ratio of payload chamber volume to container volume results in excessively complicated and expensive storage, handling and transport of the containers.

[0004] Another solution is to use shipping containers that employ superior thermal insulation panels (i.e., vacuum insulation panels). However, vacuum insulation panels are both expensive and fragile, resulting in the need for constant monitoring of the thermal performance of the vacuum insulation panels and frequent replacement of the panels which in turn results in expensive maintenance and repair of the containers.

[0005] A substantial need continues to exist for a cost effective super-insulated shipping container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] A modular thermally insulated vacuum flask shipping container that includes a sleeve of thermal insulation forming an open top insulated compartment, and a vacuum flask defining an open top payload chamber. The vacuum flask is configured and arranged for selective and repetitive insertion into and removal from the insulated compartment through the open top of the insulated compartment.

[0007] The modular thermally insulated vacuum flask shipping container preferably also includes a selectively removable thermally insulating cap repetitively operable for repositioning between sealed engagement with the vacuum flask to close the open top of the payload chamber, and detachment from the vacuum flask to allow access to the payload chamber.

[0008] The modular thermally insulated vacuum flask shipping container can optionally include (i) a selectively removable thermally insulating lid repetitively operable for repositioning between engagement with the sleeve of thermal insulation to close the open top of the insulated compartment, and detachment from the sleeve of thermal insulation to allow access to the insulated compartment, (ii) a phase change material element configured and arranged for selective insertion into and withdrawal from the payload chamber, and/or (iii) an outer protective shell surrounding the sleeve of thermal insulation.

[0009] The modular thermally insulated vacuum flask shipping container is a thermally synergistic combination of insulating elements in which the sleeve of thermal insulation has an R-value of “a”, the vacuum flask has an R- value of “b” and the modular thermally insulated vacuum flask shipping container has an R-value significantly greater than a+b.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the invention.

[0011] Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the invention depicted in Figure 1, sans outer shell.

[0012] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the invention depicted in Figure 2, taken along line 3-3.

[0013] Figure 4 is a front perspective view of the invention depicted in Figure 2 with the consolidated lid and cap detached.

[0014] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the invention depicted in Figure 4, taken along line 5-5 with the outer shell included.

[0015] Figure 6 is a front perspective view of the invention depicted in Figure 4 with the vacuum flask partially removed from the insulated compartment.

[0016] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the invention depicted in Figure 1, taken along line 6-6 with the consolidated lid and cap detached and the vacuum flask partially removed from the insulated compartment. [0017] Figure 8 is a front perspective view of another embodiment of the invention, sans insulation sleeve and outer shell.

[0018] Figure 9 is a front perspective view of the invention depicted in Figure 8 with cap and consolidated phase change material volume removed from the vacuum flask.

[0019] Figure 10 is graph of water filled payload chamber Temperature over Time for an embodiment of the invention with and without the insulation sleeve.

[0020] Figure 11 is graph of water filled payload chamber Temperature over Time for another embodiment of the invention with and without the insulation sleeve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Definitions

[0021] As utilized herein, including the claims, the phrase “high thermal conductivity” means a “k” value of greater than 2 W/mK.

[0022] As utilized herein, including the claims, the phrase “thermal insulating” means a “k” value of less than 0.2 W/mK.

Nomenclature

Nomenclature Table

Product

[0023] A modular thermally insulated vacuum flask shipping container 100, that includes a synergistic thermally insulating combination of a sleeve of thermal insulation 120 and a vacuum flask 140. The sleeve of thermal insulation 120 preferably has a rectangular exterior shape for accommodating stacking, palletizing, transport and storage, while the vacuum flask 140 preferably has a generally cylindrical exterior shape to facilitate manufacture of the vacuum flask 140.

[0024] The sleeve of thermal insulation 120 has a bottom 120b and sidewalls 120s that form an open top 128 insulated compartment 129. A thermally insulating lid 130, hingedly attached to the sidewalls 120s or provided as a separate fully detachable component, is preferably employed to cover the open top 128 of the insulated compartment 129 so as to fully insulate the insulated compartment 129. The sleeve of thermal insulation 120 can be formed from any conventional thermal insulating material, such as a foamed plastic. The sleeve of thermal insulation 120 preferably has an R-value of between 2 and 5.

[0025] The vacuum flask 140 has a top peripheral edge 140a, a bottom 140b and sidewalls 140s that form an open top 148 payload chamber 149. The vacuum flask 140 is configured and arranged for selective and repetitive insertion into and removal from the insulated compartment 129 through the open top 128 of the insulated compartment 129. The insulated compartment 129 is preferably shaped to provide a conformed fit with the vacuum flask 140. The vacuum flask 140 preferably has an R-value of greater than 10, more preferably greater than 15 and most preferably greater than 20. [0026] The vacuum flask 140 comprises an inner container 141 fixedly suspended by the top peripheral edge 140a within an outer container 142, with a hermetically sealed vacuum gap 143 provided between the inner 141 and outer 142 containers for providing superior thermal insulating properties to the bottom 140b and sidewalls 140s of the vacuum flask 140.

[0027] The inner 141 and outer 142 containers are preferably made of metal in order to maintain the vacuum within the hermetically sealed vacuum gap 143 for an extended period of time. While necessary to maintain vacuum, metals are well known to have a high thermal conductivity and therefore tend to provide a high thermal flux channel from the inner container 141 to the outer container 142 across the top peripheral edge 140a of the vacuum flask 140 which structurally engages both the inner container 141 and the outer container 142. Without intending to be limited thereby, it is believed that the thermal insulating synergy achieved by surrounding a vacuum flask 140 with a sleeve of thermal insulation 120 is achieved by reducing the thermal flux across the top peripheral edge 140a of the vacuum flask 140. In other words, it prevents the outer container 142 from functioning as a heat transfer and dissipating fin for the inner container 141.

[0028] A thermally insulating cap 150 engages the vacuum flask 140 to cover the open top 148 of the payload chamber 149. The cap 150 is preferably a plug which fittingly engages the vacuum flask 140, and is selectively and repetitively removable from engagement with the vacuum flask 140 for repositioning as between sealed engagement with the vacuum insulated flask 140 to close the open top 148 of the payload chamber 149, and detachment from the vacuum insulated flask 140 to allow access to the payload chamber 149. The cap 150 may be attached to or integrally formed with the lid 130 to provide a unitary component.

[0029] A phase change material element 160 configured and arranged for selective insertion into and withdrawal from the payload chamber 149 may be provided to maintain the temperature within the payload chamber 149 at a desired temperature. In a preferred embodiment the phase change material element 160 is a phase change material containing volume integrally formed with the cap 150 and configured so that the volume is positioned within the payload chamber 149 when the cap 150 is in sealed engagement with the vacuum flask 140 and closing the open top 148 of the vacuum flask 140. [0030] An outer protective shell 110 (e.g., cardboard, paperboard, composite plastic sandwich panel of honeycomb between facing sheets) having a top 110a, bottom 110b and sidewalls 110s preferably surrounds the sleeve of thermal insulation 120. The top 110a should be hinged or fully detachable so as to permit access to the top of the retention volume

119 of the outer shell 110. Handles 200 may be provided on the outer protective shell 110. [0031] The modular thermally insulated vacuum flask shipping container 100 has been found to provide synergistic thermal insulation. Specifically, when the sleeve of thermal insulation 120 contributes an R-value of “a” and the vacuum flask 140 contributes an R-value of “b”, the combination has been found to have an R-value greater than a+b, and more specifically an R-value significantly greater than a+b, such as at least 120% and even greater than 200% of a+b.

Process of Restoring a Damaged Shipping Container

[0032] A second aspect of the invention is a method of restoring the modular thermally insulated vacuum flask shipping container 100 described herein. Vacuum flasks 140 constructed from metal are expensive but nearly indestructible under conditions of normal usage. Sleeves of thermal insulation 120, on the other hand, are inexpensive but notoriously fragile and often crack, break or fracture under conditions of normal usage. By providing the thermal insulation 120 and the vacuum flask 140 as separate components, a modular thermally insulated vacuum flask shipping container 100 which has been damaged can typically be quickly and inexpensively restored by (i) removing the vacuum flask 140 from the insulated compartment 129 of the damaged sleeve of thermal insulation 120 through the open top 128 of the insulated compartment 129, and (ii) inserting the removed vacuum flask 140 into the insulated compartment 129 of a replacement sleeve of thermal insulation 120 through the open top 128 of the replacement sleeve of thermal insulation 120. Experimental

[0033] The payload chamber of each of the thermally insulated vacuum flask shipping containers listed in Table One below were filled with a known quantity of water at a known starting temperature and capped. Each capped vacuum flask sans thermal insulating sleeve was placed in a constant temperature environment set at +40°C and the temperature of the water in the payload chamber measured over time. The results are set forth in Figure 10 for shipping container A and Figure 11 for shipping container B. This was repeated for each of the thermally insulated vacuum flask shipping containers listed in Table One with the capped vacuum flask surrounded by the thermal insulating sleeve. The results are set forth in Figure 10 for shipping container A and Figure 11 for shipping container B. The R-value for each was calculated at three separate steady state heat transfer time intervals in accordance with equation (1) set forth below and averaged. The calculated R-values are set forth in TABLE TWO below. wherein:

Δt = Measurement time period

C = Weight of water

T2 = Temperature at end of measurement period T1 = Temperature at start of measurement period ΔT = Environmental temperature - Ti A = Exterior surface area of assembly under test

TABLE ONE

TABLE TWO