Granted Patent B2

US 8,887,515 · App. 13/593,432 · Granted Nov 18, 2014

Abstract

Claims (50)

1. A thermal management system, the system comprising:

a case including a base having a base interior and a base bottom, the base bottom having a center;

an insulation material provided within the base interior, the insulation material defining an interior volume of the insulation material;

a liner arranged in the interior volume of the insulation material, the liner having an inner surface that extends at an obtuse angle relative to the base bottom, to taper inward toward the center of the base bottom;

an outer container of phase change material provided in the liner, the outer container comprising a plurality of outer panels containing a first phase change material, the plurality of outer panels comprising a bottom outer panel, a top outer panel, and side outer panels; and

an inner container of phase change material provided in the outer container, the inner container comprising a plurality of inner panels containing a second phase change material;

wherein an outer surface of each of the side outer panels is parallel with the inner surface of the liner.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein, for each of the side outer panels, a thickness between the outer surface of the side outer panel and an inner surface of the side outer panel at a bottom end of the side outer panel is less than a thickness between the outer surface and the inner surface at a top end of the side outer panel.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein, for each of the side outer panels, a thickness between the outer surface of the side outer panel and an inner surface of the side outer panel increases from a bottom end of the side outer panel to a top end of the side outer panel.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein, for each of the side outer panels, an inner surface of the side outer panel is perpendicular to the bottom outer panel, and the outer surface of the side outer panel is not perpendicular to the bottom outer panel.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein, for each of the side outer panels, an inner surface of the side outer panel is not parallel with the inner surface of the liner.

6. The system of claim 1 ,

the plurality of inner panels comprising a bottom inner panel, a top inner panel, and side inner panels;

wherein an outer surface of each of the side inner panels is parallel with the inner surface of the liner.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein, for each of the side inner panels, a thickness between the outer surface of the side inner panel and an inner surface of the side inner panel at a bottom end of the side inner panel is less than a thickness between the outer surface and the inner surface at a top end of the side inner panel.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein, for each of the side inner panels, a thickness between the outer surface of the side inner panel and an inner surface of the side inner panel increases from a bottom end of the side inner panel to a top end of the side inner panel.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein, for each of the side inner panels, an inner surface of the side inner panel is perpendicular to the bottom outer panel, and the outer surface of the side inner panel is not perpendicular to the bottom outer panel.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein, for each of the side inner panels, an inner surface of the side inner panel is not parallel with the inner surface of the liner.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first phase change material is the second phase change material.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first phase change material is a different phase change material from the second phase change material.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of outer panels of the outer container comprise a plurality of separate panels that are removable from the interior volume of the interior volume of the liner and are separable from each other when outside of the interior volume of the liner.

14. A method of manufacturing a thermal management system, the method comprising:

providing a case including a base having a base interior and a base bottom, the base bottom having a center;

providing an insulation material within the case base interior, the insulation material defining an interior volume of the insulation material;

arranging a liner in the interior volume of the insulation material, the liner having an inner surface that extends at an obtuse angle relative to the base bottom, to taper inward toward the center of the base bottom;

providing an outer container of phase change material in the liner, the outer container comprising a plurality of outer panels containing a first phase change material, the plurality of outer panels comprising a bottom outer panel, a top outer panel, and side outer panels; and

providing an inner container of phase change material in the outer container, the inner container comprising a plurality of inner panels containing a second phase change material;

wherein an outer surface of each of the side outer panels is parallel with the inner surface of the liner.

15. A thermal management system, the system comprising:

a case;

an insulation material provided within the case, the insulation material defining an interior volume;

a liner arranged in the interior volume of the insulation material, the liner defining an interior volume;

an outer container of phase change material provided in the interior volume of the liner, the outer container defining an interior volume; the outer container comprising a plurality of outer panels containing a first phase change material, the plurality of outer panels comprising a bottom outer panel, a top outer panel, and side outer panels; and

an inner container of phase change material provided in the interior volume of the outer container, the inner container defining an interior volume in which a payload is to be received, the inner container comprising a plurality of inner panels containing a second phase change material, the plurality of inner panels comprising a bottom inner panel, a top inner panel, and side inner panels;

wherein a first non-linear path is formed between the interior volume of the liner and the interior volume of the outer container where one or more of the outer panels meet at least one other of the outer panels; and

wherein a second non-linear path is formed between the interior volume of the outer container and the interior volume of the inner container where one or more of the inner panels meet at least one other of the inner panels;

the bottom outer panel having at least one recess for receiving a portion of one or more of the side outer panels, the at least one recess and the portion of one or more of the side outer panels defining at least a portion of the first non-linear path.

16. The system of claim 15 , the bottom inner panel having at least one recess for receiving a portion of one or more of the side inner panels, the at least one recess of the bottom inner panel and the portion of one or more of the side inner panels defining at least a portion of the second non-linear path.

17. The system of claim 15 , the bottom outer panel configured to interlock with the side outer panels along the first non-linear path.

18. The system of claim 17 , the bottom inner panel configured to interlock with the side inner panels along the second non-linear path.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the inner panels includes a raised portion provided on an inner surface of the at least one of the inner panel, a surface of the raised portion defining a portion of the second non-linear path.

20. A method of manufacturing a thermal management system, the case comprising:

providing a case;

providing an insulation material within the case, the insulation material defining an interior volume;

arranging a liner in the interior volume of the insulation material, the liner defining an interior volume;

providing an outer container of phase change material in the interior volume of the liner, the outer container defining an interior volume; the outer container comprising a plurality of outer panels containing a first phase change material, the plurality of outer panels comprising a bottom outer panel, a top outer panel, and side outer panels; and

providing an inner container of phase change material in the interior volume of the outer container, the inner container defining an interior volume in which a payload is to be received, the inner container comprising a plurality of inner panels containing a second phase change material, the plurality of inner panels comprising a bottom inner panel, a top inner panel, and side inner panels;

wherein a first non-linear path is formed between the interior volume of the liner and the interior volume of the outer container where one or more of the outer panels meet at least one other of the outer panels;

wherein a second non-linear path is formed between the interior volume of the outer container and the interior volume of the inner container where one or more of the inner panels meet at least one other of the inner panels; and

wherein the method further comprises providing the bottom outer panel with at least one recess for receiving a portion of one or more of the side outer panels, the at least one recess and the portion of one or more of the side outer panels defining at least a portion of the first non-linear path.

Assignments (13)