Container for storing articles at a predetermined temperature

Abstract

A freight container for transporting articles at a predetermined temperature is provided with a Peltier element ( 1 ) within heat isolating walls. Under control of a control module ( 2 ), the Peltier element ( 1 ) can be energized by a battery ( 3 ) in order to collect or emit heat from/to the inside of the container. The container has an outside supporting frame that keeps the container from collapsing The Peltier element is connected to the supporting frame, via a heat spreader ( 4 ), and one or more heat pipes ( 5 ) extending through at least one of said insulating walls. Thus, the frame is used emit or collect heat to/from the outside environment of the container. The container, moreover, may comprise photovoltaic means ( 8 ) outside the container, on wall panels that are supported by the frame, for converting light into electric energy which can be fed to said Peltier element.

1 . A transport container for transporting articles, the container comprising
 heat insulating walls;   a container frame outside the heat insulating walls;   a Peltier element ( 1 ) within the heat insulating walls;   a heat spreader ( 4 ) coupled to the Peltier element ( 1 ) within the heat insulating walls;   at least one heat pipe ( 5 ) connected from the heat spreader ( 4 ) to the container frame and extending through at least one of said insulating walls.   
     
     
         2 . A transport container according to  claim 1 , wherein the container frame comprises a support ( 6 ,  20 ,  20   a ,  40 ) and a wall panel ( 22 ) supported by the support ( 6 ,  20 ,  20   a ,  40 ), at least one of the heat pipes ( 5 ) being connected from the heat spreader ( 4 ) to the support ( 6 ,  20 ,  20   a ,  40 ). 
     
     
         3 . A transport container according to  claim 2 , wherein said support to which said at least one of the heat pipes ( 5 ) is connected is a corner support ( 20 ), extending vertically from a floor of the container at a corner of the container, and/or an on-wall support ( 20   a ) extending vertically from a floor of the container along a wall of the container. 
     
     
         4 . A transport container according to  claim 3 , wherein said support to which said at least one of the heat pipes ( 5 ) is connected is a floor panel of the container. 
     
     
         5 . A transport container according to  claim 1 , wherein the container is a freight container. 
     
     
         6 . A transport container according to  claim 1 , wherein the container is an airfreight container having standardized dimensions for loading into aircraft. 
     
     
         7 . A transport container according to  claim 2 , comprising a photovoltaic layer ( 8 ) on the wall panel, facing outside the container and coupled to said Peltier element for supplying electric energy to the Peltier element. 
     
     
         8 . A transport container according to  claim 7 , comprising a plurality of wall panels, photovoltaic layers ( 8 ) on said plurality of the wall panels respectively, facing outside the container in mutually different directions from the container, coupled to said Peltier element for supplying electric energy to the Peltier element. 
     
     
         9 . A transport container according to  claim 7 , comprising a battery, the photovoltaic layer ( 8 ) or photovoltaic layers being coupled to said Peltier element via the battery. 
     
     
         10 . A transport container according to  claim 7 , comprising a heat insulating layer between said support and the wall panel on which the photovoltaic layer is provided. 
     
     
         11 . A transport container according to  claim 1  comprising a control module ( 2 ), and a battery ( 3 ) the control module being configured to energize the Peltier element from the battery ( 3 ) in order to collect or emit heat from/to the inside of the container. 
     
     
         12 . A transport container according to  claim 11 , said outside means comprising a heat conducting foil or coating ( 7 ), applied on the outside of at least one of said insulating walls. 
     
     
         13 . A method of transporting articles in a container, the method comprising cooling an interior space of the container with a Peltier element in the interior space and transporting heat generated by the Peltier element from the Peltier elements to a supporting container frame via a heat spreader ( 4 ), and heat pipes ( 5 ) coupled between elements of the container frame and the heat spreader. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein the container has standardized dimensions for loading into an aircraft load bay, the method comprising fitting the container into an aircraft load bay space dimensioned to correspond to said standardized dimensions.