Refrigerated container having a thermo-electric cooler pump

Abstract

A refrigerated container having a thermo-electric cooling pump includes a lid for covering the top opening of a container to form a chamber, the lid having a thermo-electric element that includes a cold-side heat exchanger and a hot-side heat exchanger, the cold-side heat exchanger extending into a sealed cooling channel on the underside of the lid, the hot-side heat exchanger extending into an exhaust channel on the top-side of the lid, first and second fans for moving gases through the circulation and exhaust channels, a sensor disposed in the container, and a controller which activates the first and second fans when a temperature in the chamber is detected above a threshold, such that heat from warmed air in the chamber is transferred from the cold-side heat exchanger to the hot-side heat exchanger and expelled out of the exhaust from the container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerated container having a thermo-electric cooler pump, the refrigerated container comprising:
 a container body having insulated side and bottom walls defining an insulated chamber, the side walls defining a top opening,   a lid sized to fit over the top opening of the container body for closing the chamber, the lid having an insulated base, a cooling channel, an exhaust channel, a thermo-electric element, one or more fans, the insulated base having an underside and a top side,   the cooling channel formed on the underside of the base and having an inlet port and an outlet port, a first one of the one or more fans disposed at the inlet port for driving air pulled from the chamber into the cooling channel,   the exhaust channel disposed on or above the top side of the insulated base, the exhaust channel having an exhaust port for expelling air from the lid,   the thermo-electric element having a cold-side heat exchanger, a hot-side heat exchanger and an electrically conductive element therebetween, electric current passing through the electrically conductive element causing a temperature differential between the cold-side heat exchanger and the hot-side heat exchanger, the cold-side heat exchanger extending into the cooling channel on the underside of the base of the lid, the hot-side heat exchanger extending into the exhaust channel on the top side of the base of the lid, wherein passage of electric current through the electrically conductive element activates the thermo-electric element thereby causing heat to flow from the cold-side heat exchanger to the hot-side heat exchanger,   a power source connected to the thermo-electric element,   a controller connected to the power source,   a sensor in communication with the controller for detecting temperature in the chamber,   such that when the sensor detects a temperature in the chamber over a selected threshold the controller is configured to activate the first fan to circulate air drawn from the chamber through the circulation channel across the cold-side heat exchanger and to activate the thermo-electric element, thereby transferring heat from the chamber across the insulated base of the lid into the exhaust channel.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerated container of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a second fan disposed above the top side of the insulated base for driving ambient air into the exhaust channel, and 
 when the sensor detects a temperature in the chamber over a selected threshold the controller being configured to activate the second fan to drive air through the exhaust channel across the hot-side heat exchanger and out of the lid through the exhaust port. 
 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerated container of  claim 1  further comprising:
 one-way valve disposed in the outlet port of the cooling channel restricting air in the channel to only flow from the inlet port to the outlet port. 
 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerated container of  claim 1  wherein the chamber is sized to hold medical drug containers or bio-tissue samples. 
     
     
         5 . A refrigerated container having a thermo-electric cooler pump, the refrigerated container comprising:
 a container body having insulated side and bottom walls defining an insulated chamber, the side walls defining a top opening,   a lid sized to fit over the top opening of the container body for closing the chamber, the lid having an insulated base, a cooling channel, an exhaust channel, a thermo-electric element, two or more fans, the insulated base having an underside and a top side,   the cooling channel formed on the underside of the base and having an inlet port and an outlet port, a first fan of the two or more fans disposed at the inlet port for driving air pulled from the chamber into the cooling channel,   the exhaust channel disposed on or above the top side of the insulated base, the exhaust channel having an exhaust port for expelling air from the lid, a second fan of the two or more fans disposed above the top side of the insulated base for driving ambient air into the exhaust channel,   the thermo-electric element having a cold-side heat exchanger, a hot-side heat exchanger and an electrically conductive element therebetween, electric current passing through the electrically conductive element causing a temperature differential between the cold-side heat exchanger and the hot-side heat exchanger, the cold-side heat exchanger extending into the cooling channel on the underside of the base of the lid, the hot-side heat exchanger extending into the exhaust channel on the top side of the base of the lid, wherein passage of electric current through the electrically conductive element activates the thermo-electric element thereby causing heat to flow from the cold-side heat exchanger to the hot-side heat exchanger,   a power source connected to the thermo-electric element,   a controller connected to the power source,   a sensor in communication with the controller for detecting temperature in the chamber,   such that when the sensor detects a temperature in the chamber over a selected threshold the controller is configured to activate the first fan to circulate air drawn from the chamber through the circulation channel across the cold-side heat exchanger, to activate the thermo-electric element to transfer heat from the chamber across the insulated base of the lid into the exhaust channel, and to activate the second fan to drive air through the exhaust channel across the hot-side heat exchanger and out of the lid through the exhaust port.