JP2021534044A - Vacuum insulated stacking container for temperature controlled transportation of food - Google Patents

Abstract

A stacking container (1) for temperature-controlled transportation of food, the outer container bottom (31) and the outer container wall (32) joined together to form a storage space (33) open on one side. The stacking container (1) further comprises an inner container bottom (21) and an inner container wall (22) joined together to form a container space (23) open on one side. ), The inner container wall (22) has an upper edge (221), the outer container bottom (31) has a lower edge (311), and an upper edge (221). ) And the lower edge portion (311) are complementarily designed so that the stacking containers (1) mesh with each other when they are stacked. , A lid of the stacking container (1) arranged on the lower side thereof is formed, and between the inner container wall (22) and the outer container wall (32), and between the inner container bottom (21) and the outer container bottom (31). A vacuum heat insulating element (5) is arranged between the and.

Description

The present invention relates to a vacuum insulated stacking container for temperature controlled (eg, cooled) transport of food according to an independent claim.

This type of stacking container is widely known in practice and is used, for example, when handling bakery bread in the form of plastic boxes not only for transportation but also for storage. These plastic boxes can be stacked with and without filling.

Such a plastic box comprises a container wall that surrounds the bottom of the container on all four sides, thereby creating an open container space on one side that can hold bread or the like.

The open edges and bottom of the container wall are each formed by edges that surround the entire circumference and mesh with each other. Therefore, the edge of the bottom of the container of the plastic box above can be abutted against the container wall of the plastic box below, and the stacked plastic boxes can be fixed so as not to slip and shift their positions.

The problem with such plastic boxes is that their use is limited due to their lack of thermal insulation. In particular, as the number of cases where products are delivered to so-called bakery chain stores at appropriate temperatures is increasing, conventional plastic boxes without insulation cannot be used for transportation in delivery vehicles without cooling and refrigerating units. Even for vehicles with a built-in cooling device, the effect of temperature increases significantly during delivery to a chain store. In this case, the food stored or transported in the plastic box is subject to excessive temperature fluctuations, which risks being no longer usable or rotting.

The problem of lack of insulation in plastic boxes for transporting food also arises in the transport of meat products. Here there is a risk of insufficient cooling during handling in the butcher shop. This issue can also be applied in many other areas of food handling.

A stackable container having heat insulating properties is shown in Patent Document 1. In principle, the shipping containers described therein can be used for temperature sensitive foods (eg bread, meat products, fish, etc.). The transport container consists of a lower part consisting of an inner container and an outer container, and a heat insulating material is arranged between the inner container and the outer container. A closureable lid is placed above the bottom, and the top of the lid is designed to be closed and complementary to the bottom of the shipping container to allow stacking. Unlike the plastic boxes described above, this shipping container is equipped with a lid, so the underside of the upper container is placed on a closed lid when stacking. As a rule, this results in vertical, extra insulation not required for normal use in food transport.

German Utility Model No. 2016001097 (U1)

An object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and to provide a stacking container that is particularly simple in structure and can be conveniently handled for transportation.

The above problem is solved by a stacking container for temperature controlled transportation of food according to an independent claim. Preferred embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

The present invention includes a (vacuum insulated) stacking container for temperature controlled transportation of food. The stacking container has an outer container having an outer container bottom and an outer container wall, and the outer container bottom and the outer container wall are joined to each other so as to form a storage space open on one side. Further, the stacking container has an inner container having an inner container bottom and an inner container wall, and the inner container bottom and the inner container wall are joined to each other so as to form a container space open on one side. The inner container wall has an upper edge and the outer container bottom has a lower edge, and the upper and lower edges are designed to complement each other so that they mesh with each other when the containers are stacked one above the other. ing. Vacuum insulating elements are arranged between the inner container wall and the outer container wall, and between the inner container bottom and the outer container bottom. Due to the design of the upper edge portion described above, it is possible to reliably mesh with the lower edge portion of the stacking container on the upper edge portion, so that a large number of stacking containers can be reliably stacked. By disposing a vacuum insulating element between the bottom of the inner container and the bottom of the outer container, the bottom of the upper container closes the container space of the lower container, thereby providing a lid insulated by the stacked containers. The vacuum insulation element is preferably a vacuum insulation panel (VIP), which is described, for example, in European Patent Application Publication No. 2709891 (A2) or German Patent Application Publication No. 2014400315 (U1). .. In this way, the stacking vessel system can be made up of at least two stacking vessels arranged one above the other, with the outer bottom of the stacking vessel above closing the upper side of the container space of the stacking vessel below. This provides a highly insulated stackable compartment and provides a good thermal system with a thermal conductivity of less than 0.5 W / K. This corresponds to a heat transfer coefficient (U value) of about 0.61 W / (m ² K) (including the lid surface and including all thermal bridges based on the outer surface). In principle, the temperature retention time obtained by the very good insulation with the vacuum insulation element is sufficient to achieve the transport time of about 6 hours. In order to extend the transport time, for example up to 24 hours, a phase change material (PCM) can be introduced that increases the temperature retention time accordingly. In order to prevent mechanical stress on the product, the (PCM) accumulator (sides and / or lid) is fixed in the liner by a holder to prevent it from falling. An additional lid containing a vacuum insulation element can be placed as a closing member of the stack of boxes, or if individual boxes are delivered, or if the waiting time after delivery is long.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the inner container wall is provided with an L-shaped stopper at the upper edge portion, and the outer container bottom is provided with an L-shaped stopper at the lower edge portion. The L-shaped configuration allows the upper and lower edges to be easily complementarily designed so that the upper and lower edges are locked so that they do not slip.

It is advantageous that the L-shaped stopper has a first contour portion with a minimum length of 0.5 cm and a second contour portion (arranged at right angles to it), respectively, at the upper edge portion and the lower edge portion.

Particularly preferably, the inner container wall has a protrusion that completely surrounds the entire circumference at the upper edge, and the protrusion has a size and shape that at least partially covers the outer container wall in the inserted state.

It is advantageous that the protrusion of the inner container is firmly joined to the outer container wall all around.

To achieve a tight bond, the protrusions of the inner vessel and the walls of the outer vessel are preferably made of a thermally bondable plastic material. The plastic can include, for example, polyurethane, polypropylene or polyethylene. In this case, the protruding portion of the inner container is welded to the outer container wall.

According to an alternative example, the protrusion of the inner container is glued to the outer container wall. According to an alternative example, both thermally connectable and non-bondable materials can be bonded by bonding.

Further, it is preferable that the inner container wall is arranged so as to extend vertically from the bottom of the inner container or to spread out in a conical shape with each other. Especially when the vacuum insulation element is an integrated vacuum insulation panel and is folded according to the extension of the inner container bottom or the outer container bottom, the distance between the inner container bottom and the outer container bottom is larger and the inner container wall A smaller distance to the outer container wall is advantageous for assembly.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the size of the bottom surface of the inner container is at least 70% of the size of the bottom surface of the outer container. Due to the excellent insulation of the vacuum insulation panel, the space between the bottom of the inner container and the bottom of the outer container can be kept small, providing a similarly large bottom of the inner container compared to the bottom of the outer container. Will be done.

It is particularly preferred that the vacuum insulation element be a single (integral) vacuum insulation panel. The vacuum insulation panel has at least one crease.

The outer container bottom is advantageously sized and shaped to completely enclose and close the upper edge of the underlying stacking container. In a favorable example, the closure between the vessels is designed to prevent convection.

One possible embodiment of this embodiment is that the bottom of the outer vessel has a sufficiently high step in the bottom structure, resulting in a stack of two stacked vessels deep into the underlying upper edge. By plunging, the heat path of heat is sufficiently extended and convection is reduced.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the examples shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a detailed perspective view of an outer container and an inner container according to an embodiment of a stacking container for temperature-controlled transportation of food according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the stacking container. FIG. 3 is a detailed perspective view of the corner of the inner container shown in FIG. FIG. 4a is a side perspective view of two stacking containers stacked on each other. FIG. 4b is a side perspective view of two stacking containers with lids stacked on top of each other. FIG. 5 is a plan view of a vacuum insulation element for a stacking container that can be placed between the outer container and the inner container of FIG.

FIG. 1 shows a detailed view of an outer container 3 and an inner container 2 according to an exemplary embodiment of the stacking container 1 according to the present invention.

The outer container 3 includes an outer container bottom 31 and an outer container wall 32 extending upward from the bottom. The outer container wall 32 and the outer container bottom 31 are integrally formed or molded from a plastic material in the manufacturing process. Since the outer container 3 thus formed has a storage space 33 having one side open upward, and the inner container 2 can be pushed almost completely into the storage space 33, the inside of the outer container 3 and the inner container 3 can be pushed into the storage space 33. A completely closed containment space is formed between the outside of the 2 and the vacuum insulation element.

The inner container 2 has an inner container bottom 21 and an inner container wall 22 integrally formed from a single material and joined to each other. Thereby, a container space 23 with an open side is formed, which is suitable for receiving food for temperature-controlled transportation.

To ensure stacking in a reliable and stable manner, the internal container wall 22 has an edge 221 at the top with an L-shaped stopper that completely surrounds the entire circumference.

The outer container bottom 31 has a lower edge (not visible in this perspective view, see FIG. 2), which is above the inner container wall 22 of the underlying stacking container 1 when the stacking containers 1 are stacked on top of each other. It is designed to be complementary so as to abut on the L-shaped stopper provided on the edge portion 221.

A fully assembled stacking container for temperature controlled transport of food is shown in FIG. 2 in a side sectional view.

In the cross-sectional view of the stacking container 1, the outer container 3 provided with the outer container bottom 31 and the outer container wall 32 directly joined to each other can be seen. The internal container 2 is arranged in the accommodation space 33 having an open upper part.

The inner container 2 also has an inner container bottom 21 and an inner container wall 22 that are directly coupled.

From the cross-sectional view, an upper edge portion 221 having an L-shaped shoulder portion and surrounding the entire circumference and a lower L-shaped shoulder portion arranged on the lower edge portion 311 can be seen. Both L-shaped shoulders are complementarily designed so that the two stacking containers 1 are stacked and nested with each other so that the stacking containers 1 do not slip and shift. The L-shaped stopper shown in the lower edge portion 311 has a first contour portion 3111 having a length of 1.9 cm and a second contour portion 3112 having a length of 0.8 cm.

In the upper region, the inner container wall 22 has a protrusion 222 that completely surrounds the entire circumference with the upper edge portion 221. The protrusion 222 has a size and shape sufficient to completely cover the outer container wall 32 from above. In principle, this covering does not have to be completely implemented. This variant may be disadvantageous in terms of mechanical stability or thermal bridge.

The inner container wall 22 is arranged so as to extend in a conical shape from the inner container bottom 21 as a starting point, that is, to extend toward the outer container wall 32. Conicalness depends on manufacturing technology and application. In principle, at least about 1 ° is considered appropriate.

The illustrated vacuum insulation element 5 is an integral vacuum insulation panel.

FIG. 3 is a detailed perspective view of the corners of the inner container of the stacking container shown in FIG.

The inner container wall 22 has an upper edge portion 221 provided with an L-shaped stopper and an adjacent full-circumferential protrusion 222. The width of the protrusion 222 is equal to the thickness of the outer container wall. The L-shaped stopper shown on the upper edge portion 221 has a first contour portion 2211 having a length of 1.3 cm and a second contour portion 2212 having a length of 0.8 cm, respectively.

FIG. 4a shows a stack of two stacking containers. In the upper stacking container 1, the outer container bottom (not shown) is designed to abut on the upper edge of the lower stacking container. In FIG. 4b, the stack is shown with an insulated lid 6, which has a profile on the upper side that is designed to be complementary to the lower side of the outer container.

The vacuum insulation panel 5 shown in FIG. 5 has four creases 51 arranged along the outer periphery of the bottom of the outer container in the attached state. The contour of the wing 52 is made to adapt (eg, conical) to the outer and inner containers. If the geometry (eg conicalness) is negligible, the contour is simplified accordingly.

Claims (13)

A stacking container (1) for temperature-controlled transportation of food.
An outer container (3) with an outer container bottom (31) and an outer container wall (32) joined together to form an open accommodation space (33) on one side.
The stacking container (1) further includes an internal container (2) having an internal container bottom (21) and an internal container wall (22) joined to each other so as to form a container space (23) open on one side. Have,
The inner container wall (22) is provided with an upper edge portion (221), the outer container bottom (31) is provided with a lower edge portion (311), and the upper edge portion (221) and the lower edge portion (311). Is complementaryly designed to mesh when a plurality of stacking containers (1) are stacked with each other, and in stacking, the outer container bottom (31) of the stacking container (1) above is the lower side thereof. A lid of the stacking container (1) arranged in is formed, and between the inner container wall (22) and the outer container wall (32), and between the inner container bottom (21) and the outer container bottom (31). A stacking container (1) in which a vacuum insulating element (5) is arranged between the two. The stacking container according to claim 1, wherein the inner container wall (22) is provided with an L-shaped stopper at the upper edge portion (221), and the outer container bottom (31) is provided with an L-shaped stopper at the lower edge portion (311). 1). The L-shaped stopper has a first contour portion and a second contour portion having a minimum length of 0.5 cm, respectively, at the upper edge portion (221) and the lower edge portion (311), respectively. The stacking container (1) according to 2. The inner container wall (22) includes a protrusion (222) that surrounds the entire circumference of the upper edge portion (221), and in the inserted state, the protrusion (222) is the outer container wall (32). The stacking container (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which has a size and shape that at least partially covers the container (1). The stacking container (1) according to claim 4, wherein the protruding portion (222) of the inner container (2) is firmly joined to the outer container wall (32) so as to surround the entire circumference. The protrusion (222) of the inner container (2) and the outer container wall (32) are made of a thermally bonded plastic material, and the protrusion (222) of the inner container (2) is formed. The stacking container (1) according to claim 4, which is welded to the outer container wall (32). The stacking container (1) according to claim 4, wherein the protruding portion (222) of the inner container (2) is adhered to the outer container wall (32). The stacking container (1) according to claim 4, wherein the protruding portion (222) of the inner container (2) is detachably joined to the outer container wall (32) so as to surround the entire circumference. .. The aspect according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the inner wall (22) is arranged in a manner extending outward vertically from the inner bottom (21) or extending outward in a conical shape. Stacking container (1). The stacking container (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the size of the inner container bottom surface (21) is at least 70% of the size of the outer container bottom surface (31). The stacking container (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the vacuum heat insulating element (5) is a single vacuum heat insulating panel, and the vacuum heat insulating panel has at least one crease (51). .. 10. The eleventh claim, wherein the vacuum insulation panel has four folds (51), each of which is arranged along the outer circumference of the outer container bottom (31) in an attached state. Stacking container (1). The stacking container (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the outer container bottom (31) has a size and a shape that closes so as to surround the entire circumference of the upper edge portion (221).

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