Process to Control the Payload Temperature of a Shipping Container in Transit

Abstract

A process with associated methods keeps the internal temperature of a cargo container within a temperature range during long transits having unpredictable high ambient temperatures. A cargo payload is shipped inside of an insulated container. The insulated container contains some form of refrigerant cooling agent (such as gel packs) to assist in keeping the internal temperature within the temperature range during transit. The container's shipping route to its destination includes stops at physical stations (hubs) where the container's internal temperature is measured using non-intrusive methods. If the internal temperature is above a trigger value, the container's refrigerant is replaced with new frozen ones. The container is shipped to the next hub or end destination. By exchanging refrigerant as needed, the container and its payload can traverse long distances over long time periods and still maintain its internal temperature within a desired window.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A temperature-controlled shipping system comprising:
 a Temperature-Controlled Container (TCC) for maintaining a temperature of a payload being shipped from a shipping source to a destination through a hub;   a payload container for holding the payload during shipment to the destination, the payload container being fitted inside the TCC at the shipping source and being removed from the TCC at the destination for delivery to a customer at the destination;   a removable refrigerant inserted into the TCC at the shipping source, the removable refrigerant being pre-cooled to an initial temperature that is below a standard room temperature before insertion into the TCC;   a temperature sensor, inserted into the TCC at the hub, or embedded inside the TCC and readable at the hub, for reading a temperature inside the TCC when the TCC is processed at the hub; and   wherein a replacement refrigerant, pre-cooled at the hub, is inserted into the TCC at the hub to replace the removable refrigerant when the temperature inside the TCC exceeds a trigger temperature when read at the hub;   wherein the removable refrigerant is not replaced and the TCC is not opened when the temperature inside the TCC does not exceed the trigger temperature when read at the hub,   whereby the removable refrigerant is replaced by the replacement refrigerant at the hub when the temperature inside the TCC exceeds the trigger temperature when read at the hub.   
     
     
         2 . The temperature-controlled shipping system of  claim 1  wherein the TCC has insulating exterior walls;
 wherein the removable refrigerant is a passive refrigerant that gradually absorbs heat that leaks into the TCC through the insulating exterior walls from an external ambient having a higher external ambient temperature than an internal temperature of the TCC. 
 
     
     
         3 . The temperature-controlled shipping system of  claim 1  wherein a first transit time from the shipping source to the hub is at least 2 days, and wherein a second transit time from the hub to the destination is at least 2 days. 
     
     
         4 . The temperature-controlled shipping system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a door in the TCC, the door being opened at the hub, wherein an opening of the door is sized to allow a temperature probe to be inserted into the TCC at the hub, 
 wherein a temperature-sensing tip of the temperature probe is inserted through the opening of the door into the TCC to measure the temperature inside the TCC at the hub. 
 
     
     
         5 . The temperature-controlled shipping system of  claim 4  wherein the door is sufficiently large in size to insert the temperature probe, but not large enough for the payload container or the removable refrigerant to be removed. 
     
     
         6 . The temperature-controlled shipping system of  claim 5  wherein the temperature probe is inserted between a wall of the TCC and the payload container, wherein the temperature probe measures a temperature inside the TCC and outside the payload container. 
     
     
         7 . The temperature-controlled shipping system of  claim 3  wherein the removable refrigerant and the replacement refrigerant are one or more gel packs containing a gel refrigerant material, the gel packs being sized to be removable by a human hand;
 wherein the gel packs do not require an electrical energy source to provide cooling while the TCC is in transit. 
 
     
     
         8 . The temperature-controlled shipping system of  claim 7  wherein the removable refrigerant has a sufficiently large thermal mass to maintain a temperature of the payload container below 70° F. during transit between the shipping source and the hub. 
     
     
         9 . The temperature-controlled shipping system of  claim 7  wherein the removable refrigerant comprises three gel packs that are inserted into the TCC on three sides of the payload container;
 further comprising: 
 a door for the temperature probe that is located near a fourth side of the payload container that does not have a gel pack. 
 
     
     
         10 . The temperature-controlled shipping system of  claim 9  wherein the payload is one or more bottles of wine. 
     
     
         11 . The temperature-controlled shipping system of  claim 3  wherein the payload is pre-cooled to a temperature below a standard room temperature before shipping. 
     
     
         12 . The temperature-controlled shipping system of  claim 1  wherein the temperature sensor comprises an embedded temperature sensor embedded within the TCC;
 further comprising: 
 a wireless transmitter inside the TCC for wirelessly transmitting a temperature read by the embedded temperature sensor to an external reader at the hub; 
 wherein the TCC is not opened at the hub. 
 
     
     
         13 . The temperature-controlled shipping system of  claim 1  further comprising a second hub which comprises:
 a temperature probe for reading a temperature inside a TCC received at the second hub during transit between the shipping source and the destination; 
 a hub refrigerator for pre-cooling replacement refrigerants; 
 an operator station for inserting the temperature probe into the TCC to measure an interior temperature of the TCC, and for opening the TCC and removing the removable refrigerant, and inserting the replacement refrigerant, pre-cooled at the second hub, into the TCC at the second hub to replace the removable refrigerant when the interior temperature inside the TCC exceeds a trigger temperature when read at the second hub; 
 wherein the removable refrigerant is not replaced and the TCC is not opened when the interior temperature inside the TCC does not exceed the trigger temperature when read at the second hub, 
 whereby the removable refrigerant is replaced by the replacement refrigerant at the second hub when the interior temperature inside the TCC exceeds the trigger temperature when read at the second hub. 
 
     
     
         14 . A method for controlling in-transit temperature of a payload being shipped from a shipping source to a destination comprising:
 loading a payload into a payload container for shipment;   loading the payload container with the payload into a Temperature-Controlled Container (TCC);   inserting a pre-cooled refrigerant pack into the TCC;   sealing the TCC with the pre-cooled refrigerant pack and the payload container inside as a sealed TCC;   shipping the sealed TCC from the shipping source to a first hub;   at the first hub, reading a first interior temperature inside the TCC without removing the payload container and without exposing the payload container to an ambient temperature;   at the first hub, when the first interior temperature exceeds a first trigger temperature, opening the TCC and exposing the payload container to the ambient temperature, removing the refrigerant pack inside the TCC with a pre-cooled refrigerant pack that was pre-cooled at the first hub, and re-sealing the TCC with the pre-cooled refrigerant pack that was pre-cooled at the first hub;   shipping the TCC that was re-sealed at the first hub, or had a first interior temperature below the first trigger temperature and was not opened, from the first hub to a destination or to a second hub; and   at the destination, removing the payload container from the TCC and delivering the payload container to a customer.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 at the second hub, reading a second interior temperature inside the TCC without removing the payload container and without exposing the payload container to an ambient temperature; 
 at the second hub, when the second interior temperature exceeds a second trigger temperature, opening the TCC and exposing the payload container to the ambient temperature, removing the refrigerant pack inside the TCC and replacing with a pre-cooled refrigerant pack that was pre-cooled at the second hub, and re-sealing the TCC with the pre-cooled refrigerant pack that was pre-cooled at the second hub; and 
 shipping the TCC that was re-sealed at the second hub, or had a second interior temperature below the second trigger temperature and was not opened, from the second hub to the destination or to a third hub. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the shipping source and the destination are on different continents. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein at the first hub, reading a first interior temperature inside the TCC comprises:
 opening a door on the TCC, inserting a temperature probe through an opening of the door so that a temperature-reading tip of the temperature probe is inside the TCC, removing the temperature probe, and closing the door; 
 wherein the opening of the door is sufficiently small relative to a size of the TCC to not allow all air within the TCC to be replaced with ambient air during temperature measurement. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  wherein loading the payload into the payload container for shipment comprises loading a bottle of wine into the payload container. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14  wherein loading the payload into the payload container for shipment further comprises pre-cooling a bottle of wine and loading a pre-cooled bottle of wine into the payload container. 
     
     
         20 . A conditional in-transit refrigerant-repacking system comprising:
 at an intermediate hub along a shipping route from a source to a destination that receives a Temperature-Controlled Container (TCC) having a payload container and a removable refrigerant sealed inside:   non-intrusive temperature reading means for reading an interior temperature inside the TCC without removing the payload container and without heating the payload container with an ambient temperature;   re-pack means, activated when the interior temperature exceeds a trigger temperature, for opening the TCC and exposing the payload container to the ambient temperature, for removing the refrigerant pack inside the TCC and replacing with a pre-cooled refrigerant pack that was pre-cooled at the intermediate hub, and for re-sealing the TCC with the pre-cooled refrigerant pack that was pre-cooled at the intermediate hub; and   re-ship means for shipping the TCC that was re-sealed at the intermediate hub, or had an interior temperature below the trigger temperature and was not opened, from the intermediate hub to the destination or to another intermediate hub.   
     
     
         21 . The conditional in-transit refrigerant-repacking system of  claim 20  further comprising:
 port means for opening a door on the TCC, inserting a temperature probe through an opening of the door so that a temperature-reading tip of the temperature probe is inside the TCC, recording the interior temperature read by the temperature probe, removing the temperature probe, and closing the door; 
 wherein the door is sufficiently large in size to insert the temperature probe, but not large enough for the payload container or the removable refrigerant to be removed.