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US 10,244,781 B2Granted
Refrigerated blanket for cold product transport
AssigneeWalmart Apollo, LLC
InventorsRobert Cantrell, Michael Dean Atchley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Exemplary embodiments provide a flexible cooling blanket including a cooling layer assembly and a heat dissipating layer assembly. The cooling layer assembly includes a first set of rigid cooling coils connected to a second set of rigid cooling coils using a first flexible tube. The heat dissipating layer assembly includes a first set of rigid heat dissipating coils and a second set of rigid heat dissipating coils connected with a second flexible tube. The first and second flexible tubes extend across the folding seams of the blanket.
Claims21
A flexible cooling blanket comprising:
- a cooling layer assembly comprising:
- a first fabric sheet;
- a second fabric sheet, the second fabric sheet being operatively coupled to the first fabric sheet along a first folding seam;
- a first set of rigid cooling coils disposed between the first and second fabric sheets on a first side of the first folding seam;
- a second set of rigid cooling coils disposed between the first and second fabric sheets on a second side of the first folding seam;
- and
- a first flexible tube connecting the first set of rigid cooling coils and the second set of rigid cooling coils, the first flexible tube extending across the first folding seam from the first side of the first folding seam to the second side of the first folding seam;
- a heat dissipating layer assembly comprising:
- a third fabric sheet;
- a fourth fabric sheet, the fourth fabric sheeting being operatively coupled to the third fabric sheet along a second folding seam;
- a first set of rigid heat dissipating coils disposed between the third and fourth fabric sheets on a first side of the second folding seam;
- a second set of rigid heat dissipating coils disposed between the third and fourth fabric sheets on a second side of the second folding seam;
- and
- a second flexible tube connecting the first set of rigid heat dissipating coils and the second set of rigid heat dissipating coils, the second flexible tube extending across the second folding seam from the first side of the second folding seam to the second side of the second folding seam;
- wherein the cooling layer assembly and the heat dissipating layer assembly are operatively connected, and the second fabric sheet of the cooling layer assembly is disposed adjacent to the third fabric sheet of the heat dissipating layer assembly;
- and
- a compressor operatively connected to the cooling layer assembly.
14 more elements
A method for assembling a flexible cooling blanket, the method comprising:
- forming a cooling layer assembly by operatively coupling a first fabric sheet and a second fabric sheet along a first folding seam;
- disposing a first set of rigid cooling coils between the first and second fabric sheets on a first side of the first folding seam;
- disposing a second set of rigid cooling coils between the first and second fabric sheets on a second side of the first folding seam;
- connecting the first set of rigid cooling coils and the second set of rigid cooling coils using a first flexible tube, wherein the first flexible tube extends across the first folding seam from the first side of the first folding seam to the second side of the first folding seam;
- forming a heat dissipating layer assembly by operatively coupling a third fabric sheet and a fourth fabric sheet along a second folding seam;
- disposing a first set of heat dissipating coils between the third and fourth fabric sheets on a first side of the second folding seam;
- disposing a second set of heat dissipating coils between the third and fourth fabric sheets on a second side of the second folding seam;
- connecting the first set of heat dissipating coils and the second set of rigid heat dissipating coils using a second flexible tube, wherein the second flexible tube extends across the second folding seam from the first side of the second folding seam to the second side of the second folding seam;
- operatively connecting the cooling layer assembly and the heat dissipating layer assembly;
- disposing the second fabric sheet of the cooling layer assembly adjacent to the third fabric sheet of the heat dissipating layer assembly;
- and
- operatively connecting a compressor to the cooling layer assembly.
9 more elements
A method for using a flexible cooling blanket for cooling items in a delivery vehicle, the method comprising:
- forming a cooling layer assembly by operatively coupling a first fabric sheet and a second fabric sheet along a first folding seam;
- disposing a first set of rigid cooling coils between the first and second fabric sheets on a first side of the first folding seam;
- disposing a second set of rigid cooling coils between the first and second fabric sheets on a second side of the first folding seam;
- connecting the first set of rigid cooling coils and the second set of rigid cooling coils using a first flexible tube, wherein the first flexible tube extends across the first folding seam from the first side of the first folding seam to the second side of the first folding seam;
- forming a heat dissipating layer assembly by operatively coupling a third fabric sheet and a fourth fabric sheet along a second folding seam;
- disposing a first set of heat dissipating coils between the third and fourth fabric sheets on a first side of the second folding seam;
- disposing a second set of heat dissipating coils between the third and fourth fabric sheets on a second side of the second folding seam;
- connecting the first set of rigid heat dissipating coils and the second set of rigid heat dissipating coils using a second flexible tube, wherein the second flexible tube extends across the second folding seam from the first side of the second folding seam to the second side of the second folding seam;
- operatively connecting the cooling layer assembly and the heat dissipating layer assembly;
- disposing the second fabric sheet of the cooling layer assembly adjacent to the third fabric sheet of the heat dissipating layer assembly;
- and
- disposing the first fabric sheet of the cooling layer assembly on top of the items in the delivery truck for cooling the items.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.