ES2625007T3 - Refrigerant container - Google Patents

Abstract

Refrigerant container (10) with a body (12), comprising a storage space (26), with a lid (14) that can be placed and is configured in the body (12) in at least two orientations to be able to close the less for the most part the storage space (26) in a placed state, characterized in that the lid (14) and / or the body (12) comprises or comprises a refrigerant housing area (24) that is fluidly connected with the storage space (26) when the cover (14) is placed in the body (12) in a first orientation, and because the refrigerant housing area (24) is essentially fluidly separated from the storage space ( 26) when the cover (14) is placed in the body (12) in a second orientation.

Description

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DESCRIPTION

Refrigerant container

The invention relates to a refrigerant container with a body, which comprises a storage space, with a lid, which can be placed in the body in at least two orientations and is configured to be able to close at least most of the space of storage in placed state. Refrigerant containers of this type are often used in the transport of items that must be refrigerated, in particular foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medications and similar products.

In the case of these refrigerant containers, it is a problem that the temperature in the storage space of the refrigerant container often does not correspond to the desired requirements. For refrigeration of food objects or products to be transported, refrigerants are often used in the form of accumulators. Depending on the desired temperature, in the case of conventional refrigerant containers, the temperature of the cooling medium must be adjusted, for example, by paraffin accumulators, which is not possible unlimitedly, or the type and quantity of the medium must be adjusted refrigerant. US 4 294 079 discloses an insulated container with a refrigerant housing area for dry ice. WO 01/44731 A1 describes an insulated container with a refrigerant housing zone in the lid area. Document DE 201 08 553 U1 describes a mobile refrigerant vessel with plasticized dry ice base. Document FR 796 373 describes a refrigerant container with a refrigerant housing area in a lid. Document GB 448 625 refers to an insulated refrigerant vessel with lateral refrigerant housing areas. WO 2014/111788 A1 has as an object an insulating container with a refrigerant housing area in a lid.

It is the objective of the present invention to create a refrigerant container, which in case of simple operation offers the possibility of transporting or cooling objects that must be refrigerated at different temperatures with the same refrigerant container and with the same refrigerant medium, and should be used as a preferred refrigerant medium dry ice, that is, CO2 in a solid physical state. Dry ice in normal conditions has a temperature of approximately minus 80 ° C (- 78.5 ° C) and passes from the solid physical state by sublimation directly to the physical state in the form of gas.

The objective in the case of a refrigerant container of the type mentioned at the beginning is solved according to the invention by which the lid and / or the body comprises or comprises a refrigerant housing zone for the refrigerant housing, in particular for the Dry ice housing, which is fluidly connected to the storage space, when the lid is placed on the body in a first orientation, and that the refrigerant housing area is essentially fluidly separated from the storage space, when The lid is placed on the body in a second orientation. Fluid connection in this sense means a macroscopic flow path, for example, in the form of a specially molded channel. However, a connection by a non-gas-tight wall, membrane, or the like is also conceivable. It is essential that the connection is open in the one orientation of the lid and closed in the other orientation of the lid.

When a low temperature is desired in the storage space, then a cooling medium, preferably dry ice, is housed in the refrigerant housing area, and the lid is placed in the first orientation in the body. In this configuration, the refrigerant housing area is fluidly connected to the storage space. Through the fluid connection, the cold gas from the refrigerant housing area can arrive through a fluid connection to the storage space and the storage space can be collectively cooled, that is, by a cold gas inlet, which can be air cooled and / or sublimed CO2. It is especially advantageous to use the refrigerant container in accordance with the invention with sublimating cooling media, as in the case of the dry ice already mentioned. By direct transition from solid state to gas form the sublimed or gas-shaped cooling medium can flow directly into the storage space and be ordered there! of the necessary refrigeration.

However, when a lower temperature is needed, then the lid can be placed in the second orientation in the body. In this orientation the refrigerant housing area is essentially fluidly separated from the storage space. This has as a consequence that no or only little gas can flow from the refrigerant housing area to the storage space. The storage space is then cooled only or mainly by heat conduction through a wall that limits the refrigerant housing area. This has the consequence that the temperature in the storage space is higher, when the lid is placed in the second orientation, than when the lid is placed in the first orientation in the body.

It is especially advantageous when at least one channel, which is configured in the lid and / or in the body, extends from the refrigerant housing area to the storage space, a channel that fluidly connects the refrigerant housing area with the storage space, when the lid is placed in the body in the first orientation, and channel that is fluidly blocked by a first blocking section configured in the lid and / or by a second blocking section configured in the body, when the lid is

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placed on the body in the second orientation. The described configuration can be manufactured efficiently and easily. In addition, the flow of the refrigerant gas can be effectively carried through the channel to the storage space. The distribution of the gas entering the storage space can then be precisely influenced by the corresponding channel configuration.

It also makes sense in the sense of the invention, when at least one channel, which is configured in the lid and / or in the body, extends from the refrigerant housing area to the storage space and the channel at least has a first partial channel present in the cover and a second partial channel present in the body, and that a mouth of the first partial channel on the side of the body is arranged relative to a mouth of the second partial channel on the side of the cover in such a way, that both mouths communicate with each other, when the cover is in the first orientation, and do not communicate with each other, when the cover is in the second orientation. Therefore, the fluid connection between the refrigerant housing area and the storage space is implemented in a way that works reliably and can be produced easily.

In this regard it is especially advantageous when the mouth on the side of the lid is arranged on a lateral surface of the lid and with a view of the lateral surface, on which the mouth is arranged, extends by at least 50%, preferably 65%, in particular, 80% of the length of the lateral surface. The mouth on the side of the lid therefore serves as a partial channel and as a feed opening for the refrigerant housing area, the refrigerant can then be fed to the refrigerant housing area by the mouth on the side of the lid At the same time, a robust connection between the mouth on the side of the lid and the mouth on the side of the body is guaranteed by the mouth on the side of the described lid, which functions as a partial channel. The fabrication of the partial channel on the side of the body is therefore possible with high fault tolerances and therefore especially economical, and a fluid connection through the channel also exists then, when the cover is not placed exactly in its intended position in the body.

A refinement of the refrigerant vessel described just now is characterized in that with a view to the lateral surface, in which the mouth is arranged, a projection extends at least by the length of the mouth, projection, which in the case of an orientation horizontal of a longer extension of the mouth is arranged above or below the mouth. The projection is a reliable means for interrupting the fluid connection between the storage space and the refrigerant housing area.

It has proved to be especially advantageous, when the cover is made in such a way, that on its two opposite side surfaces there is a glutton groove that interacts with a glutton core on the side of the body or a gluttonic core that interacts with a groove of gluttony on the side of the body, and that the mouth on the side of the lid is located outside the glutton groove on the side of the lid or on the outside of the glutton core on the side of the lid, or It is arranged on the lateral side of the glutton core on the side of the lid or the glutton groove on the side of the lid. By the interaction of the glutton groove on the side of the lid or the glutton core on the side of the lid with the glutton core on the side of the body or the glutton groove on the side of the body a connection is possible that It can reproduce and stable between the lid and the body.

It is also advantageous when a first visible side of the lid is directed to the storage space, when the lid is placed in the first orientation, and is separated from the storage space, when the lid is placed in the second orientation. As an alternative to this, it is advantageous when the first orientation of the lid differs from the second orientation of the lid because the lid is rotated 180 ° around an axis that runs orthogonal to the plane of the lid.

A preferred embodiment of the refrigerant container according to the invention is characterized in that a section on the side of the body of the channel or a section on the side of the body of the partial channel comprises a groove shaped groove configured on a lateral surface of the body directed to the storage space and open towards the storage space, which in the case of a placed lid, preferably extends from the lid to the bottom of the storage space.

Through the channel section or the partial channel, an efficient distribution of the gas coming from the refrigerant housing area to the bottom of the storage space is guaranteed, which ensures a uniform refrigeration of the storage space. In addition, it is advantageous when the lid in a plan view has a rectangular or essentially square outer contour.

It has also proved to be advantageous for handling, when the lid at least on a first visible side and / or on a second visible side has a gear concavity. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the cover has on the first visible side and on the second visible side respectively a gear concavity, which makes it possible to easily open and close the lid.

It is also advantageous, when the body essentially has outer contours in the form of an orthopedic or in the form of a die. Therefore, a simple stacking of multiple refrigerant containers made of

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corresponding way. It is also advantageous, when an entire multiple of the edge lengths of the support surface of the refrigerant vessel corresponds to the lengths of a Europalet's edge.

It is advantageous when the body and / or the lid comprise a polymeric raw material, in particular a polystyrene-based foam, a polypropylene-based foam, a polyethylene-based foam or a polyurethane-based foam, in particular, They consist of one of these. This makes possible an economic production of the refrigerant container according to the invention. In addition, the aforementioned raw materials have positive thermal properties, in particular, a reduced thermal thermal conductivity, that is, good insulation properties. A polystyrene-based foam in this regard should mean an expanded polystyrene, which may contain additives. An example of such a foam with polystyrene base would be Neopor, that is, expanded polystyrene with graphite. For the other foams (with a polypropylene base, with a polyethylene base or with a polyurethane base), what has just been said applies accordingly.

Next, the invention is explained by way of example with reference to the attached drawing. In the drawing they show:

Figure 1 a perspective representation of a refrigerant container;

Figure 2, a plan view of the refrigerant container of Figure 1;

Figure 3 a representation of the section of the refrigerant vessel along line III-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 a perspective representation of a lid of the refrigerant container of Figures 1 to 3;

Figure 5 a representation of the section of the lid of Figure 4 along the line V-V;

6 shows a plan view on a refrigerant vessel without a lid made as an alternative;

Figure 7 a representation of the section of the refrigerant vessel of Figure 6 along line VII-VII, however, with a lid in a second orientation;

Figure 8 a representation corresponding to Figure 7, the cover being shown in a first orientation;

9 shows a representation of the section corresponding to FIGS. 7 and 8 of a refrigerant container without cover made as an alternative;

Figure 10 the refrigerant vessel of Figure 9 with lid in a second orientation; Y

Figure 11 the refrigerant vessel of Figures 9 and 10 with lid in a first orientation.

A refrigerant vessel has in reference 1 in its totality the reference 10. The refrigerant vessel 10 comprises a body 12 and a cover 14. The lid 14 has a first gear concavity 18.

In the representation of the cut of Figure 3 it can be seen that a second gear concavity 20 is arranged on a side opposite to the first gear concavity 18. On the cover 14 there is arranged a coolant housing area 24 in the form of a tabular cavity The refrigerant housing area 24 extends approximately 80% of a longer extension of the cover 14.

A storage space 26, in which the merchandise to be refrigerated can be placed, is limited by the cover 14 and the body 12. Several channels 28, of which only for reasons of clarity only two carry a reference, extend from the refrigerant housing area 24 to the bottom 29 of the storage space 26.

The channels 28 respectively have a first partial channel 30 on the side of the cover, which here is formed by a part of the refrigerant housing area 24. The channels 28 also respectively have a second partial channel 32 on the side of the body. The second partial channels 32 are arranged on a lateral surface 34 of the body 12 directed to the storage space 26. The respective second partial channels 32 are configured by a notch 36 in the form of an open groove towards the storage space.

The cover 14 has a first visible side 38, as! as a second visible side 42 and in figure 3 is placed in the first orientation in the body 12. In this first orientation the first visible side 38 is directed to the storage space 26, and the refrigerant housing area 24 is connected to fluidly with the storage space 26 via the channels 28 that fluidly connect. The channels 28 that fluidly connect are formed by the respective first partial channels 30 and the respective second partial channels 32.

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The cover 14, which is depicted in perspective in Figure 4, has a first glutton core 46 on the side of the lid and a second glutton core 48 on the side of the lid. A partial area of the first glutton core 46 on the side of the lid forms a projection 52. The glutton core 46 on the side of the lid and the protrusion 52 are arranged on a first lateral surface 56 of the lid 14, in the that a mouth 60 of the refrigerant housing area 24 is arranged. The mouth 60 is disposed on a lateral side 52 of the first glutton core 46 on the side of the lid. A second lateral surface disposed opposite the first lateral surface 56 bears the reference 57. On the second lateral surface 57 there is no fluid connection between the environment and the refrigerant housing area 24.

With a view of the lateral surface 56, with the first visible side 38 facing down and the second visible side 42 facing up, the projection 52 is disposed above the mouth 60. The mouth 60 extends for a length of approximately 80% of the lateral surface 56, the projection 52 extending along the entire length of the mouth 60 and in the direction of the longest extension of the mouth 60 protruding on both sides of the mouth 60.

The body 12 shown in Figure 6 of the refrigerant vessel 10 differs from the body 12 of the refrigerant vessel 10 of Figures 1 to 3 only by different outer contours.

According to Figure 7, the lid 14 is placed on the body 12 of the refrigerant vessel 10, different from Figure 8 below, in a second orientation. An arrow shown interrupted bears reference 68 and illustrates a macroscopic flow path ("directed to the environment") directed in the direction of an outside environment of a possible gas flow from the refrigerant housing area 24. The protrusion 52 forms a section lock 69 configured in the cover 14. A contiguous part of the body 12 to the lock section 69 configured in the cover 14 forms a lock section 70 configured in the body 12. The lock section 69 configured in the cover 14 interacts with the blocking section 70 configured in the body 12 and fluidly blocking the channels 28. By the fluid blocking of the channels 28 the refrigerant housing area 24 is essentially fluidly separated from the storage space 26, i.e. no there is no macroscopic flow path between the refrigerant housing area 24 and the storage space 26. By the fluid separation of the refrigerated housing area te 24 of the storage space 26 mostly prevents a gas exchange between the refrigerant housing area 24 and the storage space 26. The fried gas flows into the environment from the refrigerant housing area 24 essentially along of the flow path 68 directed to the environment, however, not or at most in a reduced volume to the storage space 26. A reduced residual gas stream from the refrigerant housing area 24 arrives, for example, through flow through of the lid material 14 from the refrigerant housing area 24 to the storage space 26, when the refrigerant container and in particular, the lid 14 are composed of a non-gas-tight material with a certain porosity, such as, for example, polystyrene or other expanded polymer (in general a polystyrene-based foam, a polypropylene-based foam, a polyethylene-based foam or a polyurethane-based foam).

As already indicated above, Figure 8 unlike Figure 7 shows the refrigerant vessel 10 with the lid 14 in a first orientation. Here, the storage space 26 is fluidly connected to the refrigerant housing area 24. The fluid connection is illustrated by an arrow with reference 72, which shows a macroscopic flow path of a possible gas flow in the direction of storage space ("directed to storage space").

By means of figures 7 and 8 the principle of operation of the invention is clarified in a very illustrative manner. In the refrigerant housing area 24, a cooling medium not shown is housed, preferably it is treated in the case of this dry ice cooling medium. However, this is not represented in the drawings. The environment is cooled by the cooling medium. This environment on the one hand is the wall material of the lid 14, preferably a polystyrene-based foam, a polypropylene-based foam, a polyethylene-based foam or a polyurethane-based foam, which is adjacent to the cooling medium , and on the other hand the air surrounding the cooling medium. When the cover 14, as shown in Figure 8, is placed in the first orientation of the body 12, then this cooled air or the fried CO2 in the form of sublimed gas (carbonic acid gas) can flow along the path of macroscopic flow 72 directed to the storage space to the storage space 26. Thus the storage space 26 is cooled consecutively.

The lid 14 however, as shown in Figure 7, is placed in the first orientation of the body 12, then this cooled air or the fried CO2 in the form of sublimed gas (carbonic acid gas) can flow only along the flow path 68 directed to the environment and does not reach the storage space 26. The storage space 26 is then largely cooled by heat conduction and heat radiation. Then only a reduced degree of cooling of the storage space 26 is achieved, which when the lid 14 is placed in the first orientation in the body 12 and a consecutive cooling is generated.

Therefore, with the same refrigerant vessel 10 and the same refrigerant, two different temperatures can be reached in the storage space 26, by placing the lid 14 or in the first orientation (freezing temperature in the storage space clearly below 0 ° C, for example, for merchandise

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frozen) or in the second orientation (cooling temperature slightly above 0 ° C, for example, for refrigerated goods) in body 12 and with it either becomes possible or a relevant gas flow is interrupted in the area of coolant housing 24 to storage space 26.

The principle according to the invention can be carried out especially advantageously using a cooling medium that is sublimated, that is, a cooling medium, which in the case of normal conditions immediately passes from the solid physical state to the form of gas. In this respect, dry ice has proved especially suitable. In the case of sublimation of the refrigerant medium, a refrigerant medium in the form of gas is released in the refrigerant housing area 24. Then the refrigerant medium flows, depending on whether the cover 14 is placed in the first orientation or in the second orientation in the body l2, either to the storage space 26 or at least partially to the environment.

Figure 9 shows an alternative body 12 to Figures 7 and 8 with a first guide groove 74 on the side of the body and a second guide groove 76 on the side of the body. In figure 10 it is represented, as the cover 14 in the body 12 of figure 9 is placed in the second orientation. In this regard, the first guide core 46 on the side of the cover is inserted into the first guide groove 74 on the side of the body and the second guide core 48 on the side of the cover is inserted into the second guide groove. 76 on the side of the body.

Due to the gear of the first guide core 46 on the side of the cover and the first guide groove 74 on the side of the body, the mouth 60 of the refrigerant housing area 24 is as closed as possible. That is, there is neither a macroscopic fluid connection to the storage space 26 nor to the environment of the refrigerant vessel 10.

When in the embodiment shown in Figure 10 a cooling medium is used that is sublimated, in this way the cooling medium is released as a gas. A part of the refrigerant medium released in the form of gas leaves the refrigerant housing area 24 for lack of tightness at contact points between the lid 14 and the body 12 of the refrigerant vessel 10. Another part of the refrigerant medium released in the form of gas leaves the refrigerant housing area 24 in the form of a gas outlet 80, which takes place through the wall material of the refrigerant container 10. The gas outlet 80 through the wall material of the refrigerant container 10 is possible, since in the case of the wall material it is a non-gas-tight material, for example, polystyrene, which has a certain porosity. A gas outlet 80 of this type through the wall material of the refrigerant vessel 10, however, is also possible in the case of other raw materials, in particular, in the case of other expanded polymers. The exemplified embodiment of the polystyrene refrigerant container 10 should not be construed as limited. The cooling of the storage space 26 takes place in the configuration shown in Figure 10 mostly by heat conduction and heat radiation.

In figure 11 the cover 14, unlike in figure 10, is placed in the first orientation. The first guide soul 46 on the side of the cover is inserted in the second guide groove 76 on the side of the body and the second guide soul 48 on the side of the cover is inserted in the first guide groove 74 in the body side

Between the coolant housing area 24 and the storage space 26 there is a macroscopic fluid connection. When a cooling medium, preferably dry ice, is housed in the refrigerant housing area 24, then the processes correspond to those mentioned above with respect to Figure 8. The environment is cooled by the cooling medium. This environment on the one hand is the wall material of the lid 14, which is adjacent to the cooling medium, and on the other hand the air surrounding the cooling medium. The cover 14 is placed in the first orientation in the body 12 and the cooled air can flow along the flow path 72 directed to the storage space to the storage space 26.

Claims (13)

5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 40 Four. Five fifty 55 60 65 1. Refrigerant container (10) with a body (12), comprising a storage space (26), with a lid (14) that can be placed and is configured in the body (12) in at least two orientations to be able to at least for the most part close the storage space (26) in the placed state, characterized in that the lid (14) and / or the body (12) comprises or comprises a refrigerant housing area (24) which is connected to fluidly with the storage space (26) when the lid (14) is placed in the body (12) in a first orientation, and because the refrigerant housing area (24) is essentially fluidly separated from the space of storage (26) when the lid (14) is placed in the body (12) in a second orientation. 2. Refrigerant container according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one channel (28), which is configured in the lid (14) and / or in the body (12) extends from the refrigerant housing area (24) to the storage space (26), channel (28) that fluidly connects the refrigerant housing area (24) with the storage space (26) when the lid (14) is placed in the body (12) in the first orientation, and channel (28) that is fluidly blocked by a first blocking section (69) configured in the cover (14) and / or by a second blocking section (70) configured in the body (12) when The cover (14) is placed in the body (12) in the second orientation. 3. Refrigerant container according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one channel (28), which is configured in the lid (14) and / or body (12), extends from the refrigerant housing area (24) to the storage space (26), and the channel (28) has at least a first partial channel (30) present in the lid (14) and a second partial channel (32) present in the body (12), and because a mouth of the first partial channel (30) on the side of the body is disposed relative to a mouth (60) of the second partial channel (32) on the side of the cover such that both mouths communicate with each other. the other when the cover (14) is in the first orientation and does not communicate with each other when the cover (14) is in the second orientation. 4. Refrigerant container according to claim 3, characterized in that the mouth (60) on the side of the lid is arranged on a lateral surface (56) of the lid (14) and, with a view of the lateral surface (56) in the one that the mouth (60) is arranged, extends by at least 50%, preferably 65%, in particular 80% of the length of the lateral surface (56). 5. Refrigerant container according to claim 4, characterized in that, with a view to the lateral surface (56) in which the mouth (60) is arranged, a projection (52) extends at least by the length of the mouth (60) ), projection (52) which, in the case of a horizontal orientation of a maximum length extension of the mouth (60), is arranged above or below the mouth (60). 6. Refrigerant container according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid (14), on its two opposite lateral surfaces (56, 57), has a glutton groove that interacts with a glutton core on the side of the body or a gluttonous soul (46, 48) that interacts with a glutton groove (74, 76) on the side of the body, and because the mouth (60) on the side of the lid is outside of the glutton groove on the side of the lid or on the outside of the glutton core (46, 48) on the side of the lid, or is disposed on a lateral side of the glutton core (46, 48) on the side of the lid or the glutton groove on the side of the lid. 7. Refrigerant container according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a first visible side (38) of the lid (14) is directed to the storage space (26) when the lid (14) is placed in the first orientation , and is separated from the storage space (26) when the lid (14) is placed in the second orientation. A refrigerant container according to one or more of the preceding claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the first orientation of the lid (14) differs from the second orientation in that the lid (14) is rotated 180 ° about an axis that runs orthogonal to a plane of the lid. 9. Refrigerant container according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a section on the body side of a channel (28) comprises a groove (36) in the form of a groove configured on a lateral surface (34) of the body ( 12) directed to the storage space (26) and open towards the storage space (26) which, in the case of a lid (14) placed, preferably extends from the lid (14) to a bottom (29) of the space storage (26). 10. Refrigerant container according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid (14) in the plan view has a rectangular or essentially square outer contour. 11. A refrigerant container according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid (14) has at least one first visible side (38) and / or on a second visible side (42) a gear concavity (18, 20), preferably because the cover (14) has on the first visible side (38) and on the second visible side (42) respectively a gear concavity (18, 20). 12. Refrigerant container according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the body (12) has essentially outer contours in the form of an orthopedic or in the form of a die. 5 13. Refrigerant container according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the body (12) and / or the lid (14) comprise a polymeric raw material, in particular a polystyrene-based foam, a polypropylene-based foam , a foam based on polyethylene or a foam based on polyurethane, in particular they consist of one of these.