IP Library Granted Patent US 12679628
Granted Patent B2
US 12679628 · App. 18/692,458 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Transport container for transporting temperature-sensitive goods to be transported, said container comprising container walls

Inventors: Nico Ros (Riehen, CH); Stefan Retzko (Zürich, CH)
Assignee: REP IP AG
B65D81/3823B65D81/18B65D81/3816B65D81/3818
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12679628
App. No.
18/692,458
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A transport container for transporting temperature-sensitive goods to be transported, the container including container walls which surround and close off all sides an inner space provided for receiving the goods to be transported. Each container wall has at least one latent-heat storage layer which includes a phase change material, and preferably the latent-heat storage layers of adjacent container walls are connected to one another in a thermally conductive manner. A material which increases the thermal conductivity of the latent-heat storage layers in at least one direction is introduced into the phase change material.

Claims (21)

1 . A transport container for transporting temperature-sensitive goods, comprising:

container walls surrounding and closing off on all sides an inner space provided for receiving the goods;

wherein each container wall has at least one latent heat storage layer comprising a phase change material;

wherein a material increasing a thermal conductivity of the latent heat storage layers in at least one direction is introduced into the phase change material; and

wherein the material increasing the thermal conductivity has a direction-dependent thermal conductivity and is introduced into the phase change material so that the latent heat storage layer has a higher thermal conductivity in a layer plane of the respective latent heat storage layer than perpendicular to the layer plane.

2 . The transport container according to claim 1 , wherein the latent heat storage layers of adjacent container walls are connected to one another in a thermally conductive manner.

3 . The transport container according to claim 1 , wherein the material increasing the thermal conductivity is formed by one of graphite and expanded graphite.

4 . The transport container according to claim 1 , wherein the material increasing the thermal conductivity is present in a form of particles distributed within the phase change material.

5 . The transport container according to claim 1 , wherein the material increasing the thermal conductivity is present in a form of at least one plate embedded in the phase change material.

6 . The transport container according to claim 1 , wherein the material increasing the thermal conductivity takes up 3-10% by volume of a total volume of the phase change material.

7 . The transport container according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal conductivity of the latent heat storage layer in the layer plane is at least 2 times the thermal conductivity perpendicular to the layer plane.

8 . The transport container according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal conductivity of the latent heat storage layer in the layer plane is at least 5 W/mK and the thermal conductivity of the latent heat storage layer perpendicular to the layer plane is between 0.2 W/mK and 10 W/mK.

9 . The transport container according to claim 1 , wherein each container wall has, on a first side of the at least one latent heat storage layer facing away from the inner space, an insulating layer of a heat-insulating material with a thermal conductivity perpendicular to the layer plane of <0.04 W/mK.

10 . The transport container according to claim 9 , wherein the insulating layer consists of one of vacuum panels, polyisocyanurate (PIR), expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), and ISOPET.

11 . The transport container according to claim 1 , wherein:

each container wall comprises an energy distribution layer made of a material with a thermal conductivity λ>80 W/mK on at least one of:

a first side of the at least one latent heat storage layer facing away from the inner space; and

a second side of the at least one latent heat storage layer facing the inner space; and

the energy distribution layers of adjacent container walls are connected to one another in a thermally conductive manner.

12 . The transport container according to claim 11 , wherein the energy distribution layer of each container wall consists at least partially of one of aluminium, copper, carbon nanotubes, and expanded graphite.

13 . The transport container according to claim 12 , wherein the energy distribution layer of each container wall consists completely of one of aluminium, copper, carbon nanotubes, and expanded graphite.