ES2201633T3 - BOX FOR PRODUCTS TO KEEP COLD AND USE OF SUCH BOX. - Google Patents

Abstract

TRANSPORTABLE BOX THAT DEFINES A SPACE TO CONTAIN A PRODUCT, FOR EXAMPLE, A FROZEN OR REFRIGERATED FOOD, THAT INCLUDES AN INTERIOR COMPARTMENT (19) TO ACCOMMODATE A COOLING MEDIUM, FOR EXAMPLE DRY ICE. A LID (16) ALLOWS A USER TO ACCESS THE BOX. ONE DIVISION (18) IMPROVES CONTACT BETWEEN THE PRODUCT (OR THE USER'S HAND) AND THE REFRIGERATOR MEDIUM, AND ALLOWS THE HEAT TRANSMISSION BY CONVECTION. THE BOX IS BUILT OF A LAMINALLY DRIVING SHEET MATERIAL (CARTON) AND THE HEAT THAT ENTERS ON ANY SIDE OF THE BOX, MUST PREFERIBLY CROSS AT LEAST TWO THICKNESSES OF THE SHEET MATERIAL.

Description

Box for products to keep cold and use of such box.

This invention relates generally to boxes and in particular to portable boxes that define a space to contain a product.

The groceries that should be consumed in a Passenger aircraft are taken to the plane in boxes contained in metal containers that are stacked on the plane and have front openings through which the boxes

In the case of frozen groceries such like ice cream, frozen yogurts and other frozen desserts, the box is usually made of spongy plastic such as polystyrene, and Dioxide packages are placed inside the box with the product solid carbon (known as dry ice). Such boxes are expensive. TO Despite being reusable, these boxes are damaged with great ease during use. In addition, since these boxes are in Generally useful for other purposes, they are often not reused With the intended purpose. Carbon dioxide packages solid come into contact with the product negatively affecting its  texture, and can also cause injuries to the hands of Anyone who takes the product out of the box.

Therefore, there is a need for a box in the which can keep a product cold and that allows Product consumers serve themselves without risk. Cardboard boxes Conventionals are not suitable for this purpose.

It is a conventional practice of manufacturers of groceries to pack food products (such as frozen groceries, chilled groceries, groceries perishable and edible prepared ready to cook) in packaging thermally insulated that are transported to the sites of use or retail, where groceries are discharged from packaging and are temporarily stored in suitable media storage such as freezers or refrigerators. Packaging thermally insulated, which are expensive and easily damaged, They are then returned to the manufacturer.

The groceries that are supplied from this way to temporary or mobile outlets such as outdoor shows, great stadium shows cutlery, hot dog stalls, vending machines ice cream and kitchens of airplanes or trains, for example, are transferred to storage fridges or ovens (such as p. ex. microwave ovens) as appropriate. The manipulation that it is necessary to do this introduces the risk of contaminating the edible or not keeping it at the required temperature.

US-A-2 038 218 (granted on April 21, 1936) describes a box with walls isolated. The box includes a hinged lid on whose part Lower there is a deposit to contain dry ice.

US-A-2 734 349 (granted on February 14, 1956) and the US-A-2 807 402 (granted on 24 September 1957) describe portable boxes in which a separate tray or supplement to contain ice is put (or) on the product in the box before closing the box. In US-A-2 734 349 the box It has a body that is made of folded sheet of sparse conductivity such as cardboard or corrugated cardboard. In the US-A-2 807 402 the box includes multiple folded cardboard bodies that fit together, from so that on all sides of the box there are at least five Cardboard layers between outside and inside.

EP-A-0 153 975 describes a portable box according to the preamble of the claim 1. The described box has a removable lid that incorporates a compartment used to house a cold store and is Open at one end. The box is made of molded plastic.

What is desired is a package that is economically manufactured and in which a food product that must be served chilled or frozen or that must be heated and served hot can be supplied by the manufacturer, temporarily stored and easily made available to the user of the
product.

The present invention provides a portable box as set forth in claim 1.

They are set out in the claims. Dependent preferred and optional features.

The following is more fully described invention only by way of example and referring to accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box made of sheet metal, viewed from a front end and from above, the lid of the box being open;

Figure 2 is a sectional side view of the box;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a first component of the box that is an element that constitutes the body Exterior;

Figure 4 is a partially sectioned side view of the element constituting the body
Exterior;

Figure 5 is a plan view of a second Case component that is an inner liner or element which constitutes the inner body;

Figure 6 is a side view of the Inner liner;

Figure 7 is a front view of the Inner liner;

Figure 8 is a plan view of a third Case component that is a peripheral spacer;

Figure 9 is a side view of the spacer
peripheral;

Figure 10 is a side view of a double wall box lid that is a fourth component, with a compartment liner that is a fifth
component;

Figure 11 is a bottom view of the top;

Figure 12 is a front view of a container that is a sixth component of the box;

Figure 13 is a side view of the container;

Figure 14 is a plan view of the container;

Figure 15 is a front view of a modified container; Y

Figure 16 is a side view of the container modified.

The illustrated box has an element 1 that constitutes the outer body, is made of a single flat piece of starting sheet and has front and rear front walls 2, 3, side walls 4 that are longer than the front walls and a base 6 that by virtue of the superposition of the sheet as indicated in Figures 2 and 3 has a thickness that is twice that of the front and side walls. A flange 7 of the sheet runs inwards from the rear end of a side wall 4 and is superimposed on the inner surface of the rear front wall 3 for the purpose that will be explained more
ahead.

An inner liner or element 8 that It constitutes the inner body and is made from a single piece Flat sheet starting forms a sliding fit on the element exterior 1 and has a front front wall 9 and side walls 11 that are all of equal height and shorter than corresponding walls 2, 4 of the outer element 1, and has a rear front wall 12 whose height is practically equal to that of the outer rear front wall 3 but is provided with a central inlet 12a at its upper edge. At the moment embodiment the inner lining 8 lacks base. A flange 13 of the sheet runs inwards from the rear end of a side wall 11 and is superimposed on the surface exterior of the rear front wall 12 for the purpose that will be explained later.

An optional peripheral spacer 14 (Figures 8 and 9) low height, made from a single strip of sheet metal split, forms a sliding fit on the inner lining 8 and rests on the base 4 of the element 1 that constitutes the body Exterior. The purpose of the spacer is explained below. 14.

A lid 16, which is made from a single flat piece of sheet metal, has an outer wall 17 and a inner wall 18 between which a compartment is defined 19, as well as side walls 21 that form a sliding fit between the side walls 4 of the element 1 constituting the outer body When the lid 16 closes the box, said lid rest on the upper edges of the front front wall 2 and of the side walls 11 of the inner lining 8.

A liner 22 of the compartment, consisting of a single flat piece of sheet metal, fits in compartment 19 with its side edges in contact with the side walls 21 and with its upper surface in contact with the lower surface of the outer wall 17. Fins 23 made by wall stamping Inner 18 are folded up and introduced in incoming 24 running transversely in the liner 22 in order to define subcompartments 19a. The fins 23 have extensions 25 with a purpose that will be explained later. The lining 22 has an extension 26 (with a hinge 27 that is part of the same) that fits between the rear front walls 3 and 12 of elements 1 and 8 that constitute the outer body and the body inside, said extension being guided laterally by the flanges 7 and 13 mentioned above, which also distance the front walls 3 and 12.

The liner 22 crosses the front end of the cap 16 to form a grasp ear 28. The front end it is closed by a closing flap 29 capable of opening which It is part of the inner wall 18 and has a flange 31 which is friction coupling to the liner 22. On the opposite end is provided a similar fin.

The inner wall 18 of the lid 16 has large openings 32 spaced along the side edges and by consequently adjacent to the side walls 11 of the inner lining 8 of the box. They are also provided one or several narrower openings 33. There are also openings 34 and 36 next to the front and rear ends respectively. In consequently, the gas permeability of the inner wall 18 it is maximum near the inner lining 8 (due to the openings 32, 34, 36).

A container 37 that is to contain packages Individual groceries is made from one piece flat sheet metal and runs through the interior of the box. There are additional containers arranged side by side. The container 37 has side walls 38 that are distanced from the side walls 11 of the inner lining 8 in order to Provide convection paths. The front walls 38 and the side walls 39 have openings 41 that also provide convection paths The upper end of the container 37 is open. The aforementioned extensions 25 of the fins 23 restrict the movement of the container 37.

The application of the box described above for transport and temporary storage of grocery packages to which you should keep cold (as is p. ex. the case of frozen groceries, groceries chilled or frozen desserts such as ice cream, popsicles, sorbets and frozen yogurts).

The manufacturer loads the grocery packages (which have been cooled to the required temperature of storage) inside the containers 37 and load the containers inside the box. The box is then stored under refrigeration conditions, p. ex. at -18 ° C. When the box is subsequently taken out of storage, the lid 16 is loaded with dry ice packs (solid carbon dioxide) as cooling agent For this purpose, with fins 23 flush with the inner wall 18 and with the closing flap 29 open are loaded one by one inside the compartment 19 three packages of dry ice After entering the first package in the rear sub-compartment 19a, fin 23 is lifted in front of the Same, and so on. Finally fin 29 is closed, and then the lid 16 is lowered to close the box.

Dry ice, which is at a temperature of less than -78.5 ° C, cools the air in compartment 19. The air cold falls over the grocery packages and also falls between the inner lining 8 and the containers 37. The ice Dry sublimates at -78.5 ° C, extracting heat from inside the box and producing cold CO2 gas that falls through the openings made in the inner wall 18 of the lid, above the grocery packages and under the inner lining 8 and of the containers 37. The inner wall 18 prevents contact direct between dry ice packs and packs of groceries, on the one hand, and with a person who opens the lid, for other side.

The box is transported to the point of sale or use and It is stored there. If dry ice sublimates completely, the empty packages are removed from compartment 19 and are replaced by new packages of dry ice. The packages of Groceries are removed from the box one by one by opening the lid 16 and removing the grocery packages from inside the box as the consumer needs them. The lid falls adopting new closing position by virtue of its own weight and weight of dry ice

The sheet from which the box is made previously described is corrugated cardboard and has consequently a low thermal conductivity. The elements 1, 8 which constitute the outer body and the inner body have two alternating wavy layers with three flat layers, having the exterior surfaces a waterproof coating. The container 37 has a single wavy layer between two flat layers, the outer surfaces having a coating resistant to Water. The other components have a single wavy layer between two flat layers These materials provide adequate insulation thermal.

Several modifications can be made within of the scope of the invention. For example, the low plate thermal conductivity that is used to make the components of the Box can be plastic.

Figures 15 and 16 show a container modified 37 'which at the bottom corners has 42 feet that distance the container 37 'from the base 6 of the box, from the inner lining 8 and an adjacent container, facilitating with it the convective flow around the contents of the container. This makes peripheral spacer 14 superfluous. To help  to heat transfer are provided in this embodiment next to the bottom of the container 37 'additional openings 41'.

By inverting the box so that the compartment is at the bottom, the box could be converted to be used to heat its contents. In this case they would be suitable heating means introduced into the compartment, and the heat would rise by convection. Heating means they can comprise an electric heater or a hot body or a package containing chemicals that react exothermically, for example.

Instead of dry ice as a cooling medium for example packages containing other ones could be used frozen substances or packages containing substances chemicals that react endothermally.

As mentioned above, the box could be used selectively for heating and cooling. For example, a cooked or partially edible cooked or uncooked could be transported and stored while cooled or frozen, and could then be heated or cooked in the box replacing the cooling means with means of heating.

The little conductive plate such as the Cardboard is economical and recyclable. This type of sheet is easy to Print for marketing purposes. Time dependent of average required to keep a certain volume frozen of product, it is possible to calculate the amount of dry ice that is need in the compartment and select the optimal settings (the size, shape, distribution, etc.) of the openings that they are practiced in the dividing wall in order to minimize the consumption of Expensive dry ice. It is easy to form the required openings in the dividing wall. The dividing wall may include in particular "cut-out parts" defined by weakening lines (such as perforation lines such as those indicated in the Figs. 1 and 11), said cut-out parts being removed selectively to form the required openings. How alternatively or additionally, the compartment may contain a movable plate that has holes that overlap selectively over the openings in the wall dividing in order to adjust its effective area. The mobile plate can be attached to the lining of the compartment that forms the hinge integral for the lid.

Claims (16)

1. Portable box to contain a product that must be kept cold, the box comprising a body that has an open side and a lid (16) that closes the open side, the lid (16) being hollow and said lid incorporating a compartment ( 19) which is to contain cooling means, the compartment (19) being on the open side of the body when the lid (16) is closed and said compartment having an open end through which the cooling means can be loaded into the inside the compartment when the lid is open, the lid (16) having a perforated inner wall (18) that separates the compartment (19) from the lower space remaining in the body that is to contain the product to be carried in the box, practically preventing said perforated inner wall from cooling means coming into contact with the product; said box being characterized by the fact that: (a) the body and the cover (16) are made of little conductive sheet, such as p. ex. cardboard sheet; (b) the cover (16) is attached to the body by a hinge joint so that a person can open the lid with one hand and access the space with the other hand; (c) the cover (16) includes a closure (29) susceptible to opening at its open end, preventing practically the inner wall (18) and the closure (29) that means  of cooling come into contact with the hand that accesses said space; Y (d) compartment (19) includes at least one element (23) that is likely to be moved to be carried of a position in which it allows the loading of the means of cooling inside the compartment (19) through the end open the lid to a position where it prevents movement of the cooling means in the compartment (19). 2. Box as claimed in the claim 1, in which the perforated inner wall (18) has openings (32-36) at least along its major edges, these openings allowing air or cold gas to fall from the compartment (19) inside the lower space. 3. Box as claimed in the claim 1 or 2, in which the cover (16) has an extension (26) that fits between the inner and outer walls (12, 3) on one side of the body next to the open side, having the extension (26) a hinge (27) that is part of it. 4. Box as claimed in any preceding claim, which has an upper side, a side Bottom and peripheral sides that extend between the sides upper and lower, said sides defining an enclosed volume, said sheet being prepared in such a way that the heat entering in the volume enclosed through each of these sides has to pass through at least two thicknesses of said sheet. 5. Box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the compartment (19) is divided into sub-compartments (19a) by said element (23). 6. Box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said element consists of a fin (23) of the inner wall (18) that is likely to be inserted in a recess (24) practiced on an opposite wall of the compartment (19). 7. Box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said sheet is made of cardboard which includes at least one wavy layer. 8. Box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least the surfaces that define that space have a coating practically impervious to liquids. 9. Box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the body comprises a element (1) that constitutes the outer body, is made based of little conductive sheet and has front and rear walls (2, 3), opposite side walls (4) and a base (6), and an element (8) which constitutes the inner body, is made with little sheet metal conductive and has front and rear walls (9, 12) and walls opposite sides (11), the element (8) constituting the inner body embedded in the element (1) that constitutes the outer body 10. Box as claimed in any preceding claim, in which it is provided alongside the upper wall of the cover (16) a lining (22) of little sheet conductive 11. Box as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a sheet base liner Little driver rests on the base (6) of the body. 12. Box as claimed in any preceding claim, containing at least one container (37, 37 ') to contain the product, the container having openings (41; 41 ') to create convection paths. 13. Box as claimed in the claim 12, wherein the container (37 ') has external protuberances (42) to create convection paths. 14. Packaging comprising a box according to any preceding claim, a product, such as p. ex. a frozen edible, in said lower space, and means of cooling, as p. ex. dry ice in that compartment (19). 15. Method for supplying groceries from a production site to an airplane or a train, such method includes the operations of packing groceries in boxes, taking the boxes to the plane or train and storing them there; said method being characterized by the fact that: (a) each box is a portable box according to any of claims 1 to 13; (b) groceries are loaded inside of the boxes at the production site and remain in the boxes until after the boxes were stored on the plane or in the train; Y (c) before the boxes are stored in the plane or train are loaded inside the compartment (9) cooling means that are preferably packages of dry ice. 16. Method as claimed in the claim 15, in which after being edible loaded inside the boxes and before being the means of cooling loaded inside the compartment (19) the boxes are kept in refrigeration conditions.