# US 9,435,578 B2 · Storage apparatuses and related methods for storing temperature-sensitive items > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,435,578 B2 - Document ID: US9435578B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/098,130 - Filed: 2013-12-05 - Published: 2015-06-11 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-12-05 - Assignees: Tokitae LLC - Applicants: Tokitae LLC - Inventors: Ryan Calderon; Fong-Li Chou; Michael Friend; David Gasperino; Shieng Liu; Matthew F. Rosen; Shannon Weise Stone; Ozgur Emek Yildirim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435578B2 ## CPC - F25D 11/006: {with cold storage accumulators} - F25B 21/02: using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect - F25D 2400/10: Refrigerator top-coolers - 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) - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS ## Abstract Embodiments disclosed herein relate to apparatuses and methods for storing temperature-sensitive items. More specifically, embodiments include a storage apparatus that may store the temperature-sensitive items. For example, the storage apparatus may include a storage compartment that may be maintained at a predetermined temperature or temperature range. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A storage apparatus for storing at least one temperature-sensitive material at a controlled temperature, the storage apparatus comprising: an enclosure structure including, a storage compartment configured to hold the at least one temperature-sensitive material; a thermal transfer assembly adjacent to and in thermal communication with the storage compartment, the thermal transfer assembly including, a phase change material; one or more heat pipes positioned at least partially within the phase change material, the one or more heat pipes including one or more exterior surfaces at least partially surrounded by the phase change material; and a plurality of thermally conductive fins in thermal communication with the one or more heat pipes and positioned at least partially within the phase change material; a thermoelectric heat pump in thermal communication with the one or more heat pipes; a heat sink in thermal communication with the thermoelectric heat pump; at least one temperature sensor configured to measure temperature in at least one of the storage compartment or the thermal transfer assembly; and a controller operably coupled to the thermoelectric heat pump and to the at least one temperature sensor, the controller being configured to direct the thermoelectric heat pump to controllably cool the phase change material so that a temperature of the storage compartment is controlled responsive to information from the at least one temperature sensor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage compartment is at least partially defined by at least one first wall and at least one second wall that separates the storage compartment from the thermal transfer assembly, the at least one first wall has a first thermal conductivity and the at least one second wall has a second thermal conductivity that is higher than the first thermal conductivity. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The storage apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one first wall has thermal conductivity of less than about 0.3 W/(m×K). ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The storage apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one first wall includes a vacuum chamber. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The storage apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one first wall includes aerogel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The storage apparatus of claim 2, wherein the thermal transfer assembly includes one or more third walls having the first thermal conductivity. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The storage apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a lid sized and configured to cover one or more of the storage compartment or the thermal transfer assembly. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of thermally conductive fins are oriented substantially horizontally. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The storage apparatus of claim 8, wherein at least one of a size, shape, or material of the plurality of thermally conductive fins or the one or more heat pipes are selected to partially control a freezing profile of the phase change material so that a portion of the phase change material adjacent to the storage compartment is not frozen. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more heat pipes are spaced away from at least one wall that separates the thermal transfer assembly from the storage compartment. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the phase change material includes water. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the phase change material includes Puretemp 1. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the phase change material exhibits a thermal resistance in a liquid phase that is higher than in a solid phase. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The storage apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power source coupled to one or more of the controller and the thermoelectric heat pump. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The storage apparatus of claim 14, wherein the power source includes one or more photovoltaic panels. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The storage apparatus of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to divert excess power produced by the photovoltaic panels to one or more external loads. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The storage apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a USB charging port operably coupled to the controller. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The storage apparatus of claim 17, wherein at least one of the one or more external loads can be produced by a device connected to the USB charging port. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The storage apparatus of claim 15, wherein the controller is programmed to receive varying voltage from the one or more photovoltaic panels and supply power to the thermoelectric heat pump at one or more predetermined voltages. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The storage apparatus of claim 19, wherein the controller is programmed to vary the predetermined voltage at least based on a temperature of one or more of the storage compartment or the thermal transfer assembly. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The storage apparatus of claim 20, wherein the controller is programmed to control the thermoelectric pump in a manner that maintains a predetermined temperature range in the storage compartment. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The storage apparatus of claim 21, wherein the predetermined temperature range is about 2° C. to about 8° C. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control power delivered to the thermoelectric heat pump. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat sink include a cooling fan. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The storage apparatus of claim 24, wherein the controller is configured to selectively provide power to one or more of the controller, thermoelectric heat pump, or the cooling fan of the heat sink. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The storage apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a freezer compartment adjacent to at least one of the storage compartment or the thermal transfer assembly and separated therefrom by at least one wall. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The storage apparatus of claim 26, wherein the freezer compartment includes: a freezer space sized and shaped to house one or more freezable packs; a plurality of additional heat pipes in thermal communication with the freezer space; and an additional thermoelectric heat pump in thermal communication with the plurality of additional heat pipes. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The storage apparatus of claim 27, wherein the controller is programmed to distribute power from a power source to the additional thermoelectric heat pump. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) The storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more heat pipes is a wicked heat pipe. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The storage apparatus of claim 29, wherein the at least one of the one or more heat pipes includes a coolant therein. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The storage apparatus of claim 30, wherein the coolant includes at least one or more of methanol, ammonia, anhydrous ammonia, or propylene. ### Claim 32 (depends on 27) The storage apparatus of claim 27, wherein the one or more additional heat pipes is in thermal communication with a plurality of thermally conductive plates, and the plurality of thermally conductive plates are in thermal communication with the freezer space. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The storage apparatus of claim 32, further comprising an urging mechanism configured to press one or more freezable packs against a wall of the freezer space. ### Claim 34 (depends on 26) The storage apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a chamber at least partially surrounding the freezer compartment, the chamber including an additional phase change material therein. ### Claim 35 (depends on 26) The storage apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a second temperature sensor configured to measure temperature in the freezer compartment. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The storage apparatus of claim 35, further comprising a display operably coupled to the second temperature sensor and configured to display temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor. ### Claim 37 (depends on 1) The storage apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display operably coupled to the controller and configured to display temperature sensed by the at least one temperature sensor. ### Claim 38 (depends on 1) The storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermal transfer assembly includes a heat transfer side in thermal communication with the storage compartment, and the heat transfer side include a recess therein. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The storage apparatus of claim 38, further comprising thermal insulation located in the recess. ### Claim 40 A method of maintaining at least one temperature-sensitive material in a storage apparatus at a temperature lower than an ambient temperature, the method comprising: placing the at least one temperature-sensitive material in a storage compartment of the storage apparatus that is adjacent to and in thermal communication with a thermal transfer assembly of the storage apparatus having a phase change material disposed therein; and controllably changing a phase of a portion of the phase change material by removing heat therefrom via one or more heat pipes attached to a thermoelectric heat pump so that a first portion of the phase change material is in a solid phase and a second portion of the phase change material is in a liquid phase that is disposed between the storage compartment and the first portion. ### Claim 41 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40, further comprising controlling the thermoelectric heat pump to remove heat from the phase change material responsive to a change in temperature in one or more of the storage compartment, the thermal transfer assembly, or the phase change material. ### Claim 42 (depends on 41) The method of claim 41, wherein controlling the thermoelectric heat pump to remove heat from the phase change material responsive to a change in temperature in one or more of the storage compartment, the thermal transfer assembly, or the phase change material includes maintaining a temperature in the storage compartment in a range of about 2° C. to about 8° C. ### Claim 43 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40, wherein controllably changing a phase of a portion of the phase change material by removing heat therefrom via a thermoelectric heat pump includes transferring heat from the change phase material to one or more heat pipes. ### Claim 44 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, further comprising transferring heat from the one or more heat pipes to the thermoelectric heat pump, thereby cooling the one or more heat pipes. ### Claim 45 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40, further comprising distributing power from one or more photovoltaic panels to the thermoelectric heat pump. ### Claim 46 (depends on 45) The method of claim 45, further comprising diverting excess power from the photovoltaic panels to one or more external loads. ### Claim 47 (depends on 45) The method of claim 45, further comprising regulating a voltage supplied to the thermoelectric pump. ### Claim 48 A storage apparatus for storing at least one temperature-sensitive material at a controlled temperature, the storage apparatus comprising: an enclosure structure including, a storage compartment configured to hold the at least one temperature-sensitive material; a thermal transfer assembly adjacent to and in thermal communication with the storage compartment, the thermal transfer assembly including, a phase change material disposed therein; and a plurality of heat pipes positioned at least partially within the phase change material; and a plurality of thermally conductive fins in thermal communication with the plurality of heat pipes, the plurality of thermally conductive fins oriented substantially horizontally; a thermoelectric heat pump in thermal communication with the plurality of heat pipes; and a controller operably coupled to the thermoelectric heat pump and programmed to controllably cool the phase change material; wherein at least one of a size, shape, or material of the plurality of thermally conductive fins and the plurality of heat pipes are selected in combination with power to be provided to the thermoelectric heat pump to partially control a freezing profile of the phase change material so that a portion of the phase change material adjacent to the storage compartment is not frozen.