Thermal stabilization shipping system and method

Abstract

A thermal stabilization shipping system comprises a pallet ( 30, 130, 330 ) to underlie a palletized load ( 22 ) and a blanket ( 50, 250 150, 350 ) dimensioned to drape over a top of the palletized load ( 22 ) and reach down to the pallet ( 30, 130, 330 ). The blanket ( 50, 250 150, 350 ) has compartments ( 54, 154, 454 ) containing a phase change material ( 60 ).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A thermal stabilization shipping system comprising:
 a pallet ( 30 ,  130 ,  330 ) to underlie a palletized load ( 22 );   a blanket ( 50 ,  250 ,  150 ,  350 ) dimensioned to be draped over a top of the palletized load ( 22 ) and reach down to the pallet ( 30 ,  130 ,  330 ), the blanket ( 50 ,  250   150 ,  350 ) having compartments ( 54 ,  154 ,  454 ) containing a first phase change material ( 60 ).   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a second blanket ( 50 ,  150 ,  350 ) dimensioned so as to extend across the blanket ( 50 ,  250   150 ,  350 ) on top of the palletized load ( 22 ) and to reach down along a second opposite side of the palletized load ( 22 ) to the pallet ( 30 ,  130 ,  330 ), the blanket ( 50 ,  250 ,  150 ,  350 ) having second compartments ( 54 ,  154 ,  454 ) containing a second phase change material ( 60 ). 
 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the blanket ( 50 ,  150 ,  350 ) has a top portion to overlie a top of the palletized load ( 22 ) and wherein the second compartments ( 54 ,  154 ,  454 ) of the second blanket ( 50 ,  150 ,  350 ) are arranged to overlie the top portion of the blanket ( 50 ,  250   150 ,  350 ) when the first blanket ( 50 ,  250   150 ,  350 ) and the second blanket ( 50 ,  250   150 ,  350 ) are positioned about the palletized load ( 22 ). 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the blanket ( 250 ) comprises:
 a central portion ( 264 ) overlying the top of the palletized load ( 22 ); and   four panels for  266 ) extending from the central portion to overlie four different sides of the palletized load ( 22 ).   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pallet ( 30 ,  130 ,  330 ) has cavities ( 136 ) and wherein the system further comprises a second phase change material ( 134 ) within the cavities. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the compartments ( 454 ) are arranged to have vertically extending major dimension along sides of the palletized load ( 22 ). 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the blanket ( 50 ,  250 ,  150 ,  350 ) comprises segments, each of the segments including a plurality of the compartments ( 54 ,  154 ,  454 ) and separated from an adjacent one of the segments by a portion omitting a compartment, wherein the segments have a vertical height corresponding to a vertical height of an individual container of the palletized load ( 22 ). 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pallet ( 30 ,  130 ,  330 ) comprises a foam pallet ( 30 ,  130 ,  330 ). 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a first layer ( 352 ) of insulation on a first face of the blanket ( 50 ,  250 ,  150 ,  350 ). 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 at least one first layer ( 348 ) of insulation about the palletized load ( 22 ), wherein the blanket ( 50 ,  250   150 ,  350 ) is draped over the at least one first layer ( 348 ) of insulation; 
 at least one second layer (role  352 ,  356 ) of insulation about the blanket ( 50 ,  250 ,  150 ,  350 ); and 
 a sheet ( 338 ) underlying the palletized load ( 22 ) and draped upwardly about edges of the at least one first layer of insulation ( 348 ), the blanket ( 50 ,  250   150 ,  350 ) and the at least one second layer of insulation ( 352 ,  356 ). 
 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first phase change material ( 60 ) has a phase change temperature tuned based on a temperature specification of the palletized load ( 22 ). 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first phase change material ( 60 ) has a phase change temperature based on a minimum temperature specification of the palletized load ( 22 ), the phase change temperature being at least the minimum temperature specification and less than 5 degrees above the minimum temperature specification. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the blanket ( 50 ,  250 ,  150 ,  350 ) has a woven layer ( 474 ) on at least one side to protect the blanket ( 50 ,  250   150 ,  350 ). 
     
     
         14 . A thermal stabilization shipping system comprising:
 a foam pallet ( 130 ,  330 ) to underlie a palletized load ( 22 ), wherein the pallet ( 30 ,  130 ,  330 ) has cavities ( 136 ,  336 );   a phase change material ( 60 ) within the cavities ( 136 ,  336 ).   
     
     
         15 . A thermal stabilization shipping method comprising:
 forming a palletized load ( 22 ) upon a pallet ( 30 ,  130 ,  330 );   positioning a blanket ( 50 ,  250 ,  150 ,  350 ) over the palletized load ( 22 ) upon the pallet ( 30 ,  130 ,  330 ), the blanket ( 50 ,  250 ,  150 ,  350 ) being dimensioned to extend over a top of the palletized load ( 22 ) and to drape down to the pallet ( 30 ,  130 ,  330 ), the blanket ( 50 ,  250 ,  150 ,  350 ) having compartments ( 54 ,  154 ,  454 ) containing a phase change material ( 60 ).