Isothermal Container For Preserving Of Various Materials

Abstract

This container includes an insulating body, a door made of an insulating material, and mechanism for locking the door in the closed position. A multi-component container having a volume adaptable on demand, less heavy and less expensive, whilst having good resistance to wear and to blows. This body is formed by stacking body elements which are made of an insulating material and which are each generally U-shaped, the ends of the wings thereof defining the access opening, the elements being inserted between end elements which, having the same U-shaped cross-section as these but being closed at one side by a bottom, are reinforced by independent metal frames which exert thereon a compressive strength which is produced by metal clamping rods. These extend between the two frames and pass through the body elements and the end elements via holes.

1 . An isothermal container for preserving of various materials, said container comprising:
 a body made of an insulating material having a cavity divided into a space for receiving products to preserve in temperature and in a space for receiving a heat exchanger,   a door made of insulating material coming against an opening,   and lock of the door in a closed position,   characterized in that the body is formed by stacking body elements made of insulating material and which are each generally U-shaped with wings forming transverse walls, and the ends of said wings define an access opening, said body elements being inserted between end elements which, with the same U-section but closed on one side by a bottom, are reinforced by extreme metal and independent frames, exerting on their transverse walls a compressive strength produced by clamping rods extending between the two frames and passing through the body elements and the end elements.   
     
     
         2 . The isothermal container according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the door has spaced bearings in each of its longitudinal edges, in which is disposed a metal reinforcing rod passing through the door along its entire length, said door comprising:
 on the side of its hinged connection on the body and in the space between the bearings, connecting rods whose one end is hinged to its reinforcing rod and the other end on a rod of the body, and,   on the other side and in the spaces between the bearings, an attachment passing through gaps between bearings of the body to hang on a rod of said body.   
     
     
         3 . The isothermal container according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the body elements, the end elements and the door are made of an expanded cellular material. 
     
     
         4 . The isothermal container of  claim 1 , characterized in that a relative positioning and sealing between the body elements and end elements assembled, respectively, are provided by ribs projecting from a wing and half of the core of each element, said ribs and penetrating into grooves arranged in a wing and half of the core of the elements A or B in a facing arrangement, said ribs and grooves being distributed reversely on the opposite sides of each of the body elements. 
     
     
         5 . The isothermal container according to  claim 1 , characterized in that each body element and end element, respectively, is bounded internally near a junction plane with another element, and along its wings and its core by a shoulder forming, with the shoulder of the opposite element, a slider for receiving the storage shelves for foodstuffs and products to preserve. 
     
     
         6 . The isothermal container according to  claim 1 , characterized in that each body unit comprises, in its two opposite outer angles, at the end of its wings and on a part of its height, a recess allowing to manually catch the rod passing through this angle. 
     
     
         7 . The isothermal container according to  claim 1 , characterized in that each of the two end members comprises, in its bottom and inside the body, slots spaced and parallel to its wings, communicating with longitudinal slots arranged in the inner face of the door and with slots arranged in the core of the elements, thus forming flow annular channels of the convection thermal motions. 
     
     
         8 . The isothermal container according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the door has, projecting from its external face, a magnet which, in an open position and folded at 270° against the body, is able to cooperate with a metal plate secured against the external face of the body. 
     
     
         9 . The isothermal container according to  claim 1 , characterized in that an end face of each wing of the body elements and an end face of the end elements has a rib which, projecting from the abutment face for the door, extends parallel to the clamping rods and has, at each of its ends, a projection adapted to collapse elastically against projections of the elements stacked to ensure the continuity of a sealing barrier formed by these ribs by surrounding the opening of the body. 
     
     
         10 . The isothermal container according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the door has, projecting from its face abutting against the face of the body, a continuous rib around the sealing barrier formed by juxtaposition of the ribs of the body elements and end elements. 
     
     
         11 . The isothermal container according to  claim 3 , wherein the cellular material is expanded polypropylene.