# US 11,898,795 B2 · Method and apparatus for thermally protecting and/or transporting temperature sensitive products > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,898,795 B2 - Document ID: US11898795B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/583,516 - Filed: 2022-01-25 - Published: 2022-05-12 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-23 - Assignees: Illuminate Consulting, LLC - Applicants: Illuminate Consulting, LLC - Inventors: Jean-Pierre Emond; Melissa Germain - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11898795B2 ## CPC - F25D 3/06: Movable containers - B65D 81/3816: {formed of foam material} - F25D 3/08: portable, i.e. adapted to be carried personally - F28F 13/00: Arrangements for modifying heat-transfer, e.g. increasing, decreasing (F28F1/00 - F28F11/00 take precedence) - F25D 2303/0844: above the product - F25D 2303/0845: below the product - F25D 2303/085: Compositions of cold storage materials - F25D 2331/804: Boxes - F28F 2013/001: {Particular heat conductive materials, e.g. superconductive elements} - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) - B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) ## Abstract Method and apparatus for thermally protecting a product, when storing and/or shipping a product, to control temperatures products are exposed to. Embodiments increase the amount of time portions of the product experience a desired temperature range and/or reduce the amount of time portions of the product experience temperatures outside a desired temperature range and/or experience an undesirable temperature range. Embodiments incorporate thermally conductive materials, referred to as conductive equalizers, positioned around and/or near the product positioned inside a packaging container, where the conductive materials conduct heat from locations in the package interior to other locations in the package interior. The conductive equalizers conductively transfer heat from hotter portions of the interior of the container to cooler portions of the interior of the container and/or from portions of the interior desired to be cooled to the cold bank, resulting in a more uniform temperature distribution around the product. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for thermally protecting a load, comprising: a container, wherein the container is configured to position the load within an interior of the container; a thermal bank, wherein the thermal bank is configured to absorb heat from a source above an operating temperature of the thermal bank; a conductive equalizer, wherein at least a portion of the conductive equalizer has a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W/mK; wherein the conductive equalizer is direct thermal conductively connected to the thermal bank, wherein the thermal bank can absorb heat from the conductive equalizer or provide heat to the conductive equalizer, wherein the conductive equalizer comprises a sheet of material having a thermal conductivity, TC, wherein the sheet of material has a length, L, from a proximal end of the sheet directly thermally conductively connected to the conductive equalizer to a distal end of the sheet, a thickness T, and a width w, wherein the sheet has an effective thermal conductance from the distal end to the proximal end equal to TC×w×T/L, and wherein the effective thermal conductance is at least 0.003 W/K, where W is watts and K is degrees Kelvin, wherein when the load is positioned within the interior of the container and the conductive equalizer is positioned proximate the load, a period of time the load is maintained in a desired temperature range is extended. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive equalizer comprises a material or multiple materials that conduct heat to move from a first position in the interior of the container that has a high temperature to a second position in the interior of the container that has a lower temperature. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive equalizer extends the period of time the payload is maintained in the desired temperature range by conducting heat from the location the conductive equalizer is positioned to the thermal bank. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive equalizer comprises at least one part comprising one or more materials having a thermal conductivity in a range from 10 to 500 W/m-K. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive equalizer covers at least 10% of a load exposed surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive equalizer increases a surface area that is in direct thermal conductive contact with the thermal bank. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive equalizer extends the period of time the payload is maintained in a desired temperature range by conducting heat from the thermal bank toward the location the conductive equalizer is positioned. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive equalizer extremities are away from the cold bank from 50 mm to 2000 mm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive equalizer is flexible. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive equalizer is semi-rigid. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive equalizer is rigid. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the T is greater than or equal to 0.01 mm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive equalizer comprises an insulation material on one or both surfaces of the conductive equalizer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive equalizer comprises a plurality of thermal conductive materials. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, the conductive equalizer is positioned on one side of the payload. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive equalizer is positioned on all sides of the load. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one additional conductive equalizer positioned around a corresponding at least one additional portion of the load, wherein at least a portion of each at least one additional conductive equalizer has a thermal conductance of at least 10 W/m-K. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A method of thermally protecting a load, comprising: providing the apparatus of claim 1; positioning the load within the interior of a container; positioning the conductive equalizer proximate to the load, wherein positioning the conductive equalizer proximate the load comprises positioning the conductive equalizer inside the container, wherein the thermal bank is positioned within the interior of the container, wherein the period of time the load is maintained in the desired temperature range is extended. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the conductive equalizer comprises a material or multiple materials that conduct heat to move from a first position in the interior of the container that has a high temperature to a second position in the interior of the container that has a lower temperature. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the conductive equalizer extends the period of time the payload is maintained in the desired temperature range by conducting heat from the location the conductive equalizer is positioned to the thermal bank. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the conductive equalizer comprises at least one part comprising one or more materials having a thermal conductivity in the range from 10 to 500 W/m-K. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein L is in the range 0.05 m and 2 m, wherein T is greater than or equal to 0.000001 m, wherein T/L is in the range 0.0002 and 0.000005. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the conductive equalizer covers at least 10% of the payload exposed surface. ### Claim 24 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the conductive equalizer increases a surface area that is in direct thermal conductive contact with the thermal bank. ### Claim 25 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the conductive equalizer extends the period of time the payload is maintained in a desired temperature range by conducting heat from the thermal bank toward the location the conductive equalizer is positioned. ### Claim 26 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the conductive equalizer extremities are away from the cold bank from 50 mm to 2000 mm. ### Claim 27 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the conductive equalizer is flexible. ### Claim 28 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the conductive equalizer is semi-rigid. ### Claim 29 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the conductive equalizer is rigid. ### Claim 30 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the T is greater than or equal to 0.01 mm. ### Claim 31 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the conductive equalizer comprises an insulation material on one or both surfaces of the conductive equalizer. ### Claim 32 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the conductive equalizer comprises a plurality of thermal conductive materials. ### Claim 33 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, the conductive equalizer is positioned on one side of the payload. ### Claim 34 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the conductive equalizer is positioned on all sides of the load. ### Claim 35 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, further comprising at least one additional conductive equalizer positioned around a corresponding at least one additional portion of the load, wherein at least a portion of each at least one additional conductive equalizer has a thermal conductance of at least 10 W/m-K. ### Claim 36 An apparatus for thermally protecting a load, comprising: a container, wherein the container is configured to position the load within an interior of the container; a thermal bank, wherein the thermal bank is configured to absorb heat from a source above an operating temperature of the thermal bank; a conductive equalizer, wherein the load is positioned within the container, wherein at least a portion of the conductive equalizer has a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W/mK; wherein the conductive equalizer is direct thermal conductively connected to the thermal bank, wherein the thermal bank can absorb heat from the conductive equalizer or provide heat to the conductive equalizer, wherein the conductive equalizer comprises a sheet of material having a thermal conductivity, TC, wherein the sheet of material has a length, L, from a proximal end of the sheet directly thermally conductively connected to the conductive equalizer to a distal end of the sheet, a thickness T, and a width w, wherein L is in the range 0.05 m and 2 m, wherein T is greater than or equal to 0.000001 m, wherein T/L is in the range 0.0002 and 0.000005, wherein the sheet has an effective thermal conductance from the distal end to the proximal end equal to TC×w×T/L, wherein when the conductive equalizer is positioned proximate the load, a period of time the load is maintained in a desired temperature range is extended. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) A method of thermally protecting a load, comprising: providing the apparatus of claim 36; positioning the conductive equalizer proximate to the load, wherein positioning the conductive equalizer proximate the load comprises positioning the conductive equalizer inside the container, wherein the thermal bank is positioned within the interior of the container, wherein the period of time the load is maintained in the desired temperature range is extended.