Key information

Title
Transportation assembly and method for transportation of perishable goods
Application number
20230155
Case type
National
Status
10.06.2024 Patent meddelt (B1)
Filed
16.02.2023
Effective date
16.02.2023
Publicly available
10.06.2024
Next annual fee due
28.02.2027
Applicant
PCG IMPORT ASSIST AS (NO)
Owner
PCG IMPORT ASSIST AS (NO)
Inventor
Arne Aarhus (NO)
Agent
ACAPO ONSAGERS AS (NO)
Granted
10.06.2024
Patent number
348000
Expiry date
16.02.2043

Abstract and drawing

Disclaimer: This text has been machine-scanned and may contain errors – please refer to "Publications" for legally binding content.
A transportation assembly comprising at least one transportation box (11) with a lid (14) in a temperature insulating material and a compartment (13) for dry ice, as well as an essentially closed plastic sheet material (21) configured to envelop the transportation box (11) in a manner constituting a pressure controlling mechanism. A method for transportation of foodstuff is also contemplated.

Publications

Latest published versionB1A1

Documents

 Expand Download files (30)
Date
 Date Doc. No. Process Case number In/Out Journal description To/from
 02.01.2025 15-01 Saksbehandling 20230155(348000) UT PT Varsel om betaling av første årsavgift (3317) (PT20230155) CURO AS
 13.06.2024 14-01 Saksbehandling 20230155(348000) UT PT Registreringsbrev nasjonal patent (15) (PT20230155)
24.05.2024 13-01 Saksbehandling 20230155 UT PT Meddelelse om patent CURO AS
 03.04.2024 12-05 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN NO 20230155 norske krav CURO AS
 03.04.2024 12-04 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN NO 20230155 description 2404 clean CURO AS
 03.04.2024 12-03 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN NO 20230155 description 2404 annot CURO AS
 03.04.2024 12-02 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN NO 20230155 besvarelse 2404 CURO AS
 03.04.2024 12-01 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN Korrespondanse (Hovedbrev inn) CURO AS
 21.03.2024 11-01 Saksbehandling 20230155 UT 20230155_1830609_PT 08 CURO AS
 14.03.2024 10-02 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN Besvarelse NO 20230155 2403 CURO AS
 14.03.2024 10-01 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN Korrespondanse (Hovedbrev inn) CURO AS
 31.01.2024 09-01 Saksbehandling 20230155 UT 20230155_1808232_PT 08 CURO AS
 15.01.2024 08-02 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN 20230155_anmodning om ny uttalelse CURO AS
 15.01.2024 08-01 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN Korrespondanse (Hovedbrev inn) CURO AS
 16.11.2023 07-02 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN 20230155_anmodning om ny uttalelse CURO AS
 16.11.2023 07-01 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN Korrespondanse (Hovedbrev inn) CURO AS
 17.10.2023 06-04 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN NO 20230155 krav 2310 clean CURO AS
 17.10.2023 06-03 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN NO 20230155 krav 2310 annot CURO AS
 17.10.2023 06-02 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN Besvarelse NO 20230155 2310 CURO AS
 17.10.2023 06-01 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN Korrespondanse (Hovedbrev inn) CURO AS
 19.09.2023 05-02 Saksbehandling 20230155 UT PT report 02:57:31
19.09.2023 05-01 Saksbehandling 20230155 UT 20230155_1756507_PT 08 CURO AS
 20.02.2023 04-03 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN 20230155_overdragelse CURO AS
 20.02.2023 04-02 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN 20230155_fullmakt CURO AS
 20.02.2023 04-01 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN Korrespondanse (Hovedbrev inn) CURO AS
 17.02.2023 03-01 Saksbehandling 20230155 UT Formalia 1 CURO AS
 17.02.2023 02-01 Saksbehandling 20230155 UT Infobrev til oppfinner CURO AS
 16.02.2023 01-03 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN U4424 Text AF CURO AS
 16.02.2023 01-02 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN U4424 Fig AF CURO AS
 16.02.2023 01-01 Saksbehandling 20230155 INN Søknadsskjema Patent CURO AS

Description, claims and drawings

Disclaimer: This text has been machine-scanned and may contain errors – please refer to "Publications" for legally binding content. Description
Transportation assembly and method for transportation of perishable goodsThe present invention relates to a method for transportation of perishable goods as indicated by the preamble of claim 1. According to another aspect, the invention relates to a transportation assembly as indicated by the preamble of claim 9.BackgroundAs well known, fresh foodstuff such as fish and meat tend to deteriorate quite rapidly at room temperature, and is therefore typically kept at a low temperature slightly above 0 °C. The temperature should not pass below 0 °C since this would cause cell membrane to brake and the product quality would be seriously affected.For transportation, products of this kind, especially fish, is usually transported in insulated transportation boxes made in expanded synthetic materials, such as expanded polystyrene. The transportation boxes are typically topped up with a few kilos of ice to keep the foodstuff cold for a prolonged period of time. At the bottom pf the transportation boxes holes are provided to drain off water formed as the ice melts.Smelly water leaking from the boxes may be considered an issue in itself, but a more significant issue is the fact that the temperature may only be kept sufficiently low for a few days inside an environment that allows bacteria growth, which means that slow transportation means like boats are not viable for use for perishable goods. Transportation over longer distances therefore has to be performed by airplanes which adds an extra cost of about 2,80 € or more per kilo of the product. Transportation by boat, on the other hand, would amount to about one tenth of this cost. An alternative coolant for the transportation is dry ice, which is frozen CO2, having a sublimation temperature of about – 78 °C, i.e. the temperature at which it undergoes phase change from ice to gas. A problem with this method is that the transportation boxes are not gas tight and under normal pressure, the CO2 evaporates rather quickly and does not keep the desired low temperature within the boxes for the desired period of time.A box useful for transportation of perishable goods like foodstuff in which dry ice is useful as a coolant is described in DE 202006011 U1. The box has a somewhat complex structure with an internal wall defining a channel from the coolant, which is arranged in a void in the lid.Another device in this technical field is described in US 10279991 B2, which relates to a shipping container in stainless steel for refrigerated or frozen goods. US 6269946 B1 relates to a modified atmosphere package for storing oxygen sensitive goods, containing a gas permeable tray for holding the goods and a gas permeable film wrapped over the tray. The tray is made from an open cell foam material. A hinged flap is contacted to the wall of the tray and contains a receptacle in which a source of carbon dioxide may be disposed.KR 20160053497 A concerns a package for meat or shellfish comprising a product container arranged within a larger container, the latter comprising a compartment for dry-ice. The larger container furthermore comprises internal ribs to facilitate free spaces beneath the product container as well as at all lateral sides thereof, thereby allowing carbon dioxide formed by the dry ice to surround all sides of the product container.ObjectivesIt is therefore an objective with the present invention to develop a method and/or assembly for transportation of perishable goods like fresh foodstuff under conditions that allows long shelf life of the products, preferably for a time period sufficiently long to allow transportation of the goods by boat even over longer distances.More concretely it is an objective of the present invention to develop a method and/ or assembly that allows transporting fresh foodstuff over a period of time of at least 25 days, more preferred for a period of time exceeding 35 days, as assessed by total bacteria count (TBC).The present inventionThe above mentioned objectives are fulfilled by the method defined by claim 1, which defines the present invention.Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed by the dependent claims.Generally speaking, the method involves the steps of adding an appropriate amount of dry ice to each box, arranged in such a way that direct contact between the goods and the dry ice is avoided to prevent excessive cooling (below 0 degrees Celsius) of any part of the goods, enclosing the boxes in closed plastic sheet material, such as plastic bags, open to the environment only by a pressure release mechanism such as a one way valve arranged to open at a pre-defined pressure. In some embodiments, small openings in each transportation box are provided near its top, to allow oxygen and CO2 to escape therefrom, and to build-up pressure in the enclosing plastic bags. With “essentially closed” as used herein is understood that the plastic sheet material is closed but for the provision of a valve or other pressure controlling mechanism that is provided for preventing excessive pressure-build-up. In practice, a pressure of less than 2 atm., such as e.g.1.4 atm. has been found sufficient. As disclosed below, the pressure controlling assembly is in some embodiments constituted by the combination of the plastic sheet material and a pressure release valve and in other embodiments by the combination of the plastic sheet material in combination with the lid.The transportation boxes may be enclosed in plastic bags separately or a group of transportation boxes may be enclosed in a large common plastic bag. According to one embodiment, one plastic bag is dimensioned to envelop an entire pallet of transportation boxes, i.e. with a rectangular cross-section of 1.2 x 1.8 meters and a height of about 2 meters.The pressure release mechanism is typically arranged at the top of plastic bag, allowing the lighter oxygen to be released before the heavier CO2. The arrangement ensures that oxygen is expelled quite rapidly from the transportation boxes and subsequently, which is favourable also for the fact that oxygen is a gas that causes oxidation, which is one form of deterioration of perishable goods. Another advantage is the fact that the temperature is maintained at a low temperature for a substantially extended period of time. The combination of these advantages, low temperature in an environment essentially free of oxygen, leads to the result that fulfils the above indicated objectives.Counts of total bacteria have shown that foodstuff in the form of fresh fish has been within acceptable limits even after 56 days, which is significantly more than required for documentation of the advantage of the invention.There are 3 main elements of this invention that is of importance and creates an unexpected effect when combined.1: Dry Ice transforms into gaseous CO2. The cooling effect of dry ice is important and more effective than cooling with wet ice due to its low temperature of about -78 °C. The CO2 (gas) is also important. The expanding effect in volume when dry ice is expanding into CO2 is important for the process. This creates the surplus pressure needed to pressure all the O2 out of the box and later through the air tight material, in order to create an atmosphere essentially free from oxygen inside the box.2: Box design. Holes only on top of box. This is important in order to fill up the box with CO2 and let oxygen float up to top of the box and out of the hole in the highest possible point of the box. In this way the oxygen is removed from the environment/box, and only CO2 remains.3: The environment outside the box. Airtight material around box or pallet of boxes, that includes a pressure release mechanism at its highest point. The pressure release mechanism allows early release of oxygen and a controlled CO2 pressure created by slow dry ice evaporation. When oxygen is removed, so is essentially bacteria growth in the goods. Thus, the effect of the essentially closed plastic sheet material (bag) in combination with dry ice, is efficient cooling and reduced evaporation rate leading to prolonged cooling time. Furthermore, the pressure increase leads to oxygen being expelled from the and prevented from re-entering same. The combination of prolonged cooling and removal of oxygen reduces or prevents deterioration of perishable goods for an extended period of time.EmbodimentsBelow, the present invention is disclosed in further details in form of non-limiting exemplifying embodiments illustrated by drawings, wherein.Figure 1 is a schematic top view of a transportation box according to the present invention with lid removed.Figure 2A is a side sectional view of the transportation box from Figure 1 with content and lid on top.Figure 2B is a partial enlargement of Figure 2AFigure 3 is a side sectional view od an assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprising a transportation box arranged in an essentially closedFigure 4 shows an embodiment that differs from the embodiment shown in figure 3 in that three transportation boxes stacked on top of each other are enclosed within one common essentially closed plastic sheet material.Figure 5 is a schematic top view of yet another embodiment of the present inventionFigure 1 shows in a top view an open an empty transportation box 11 with a product compartment 12 for perishable goods and four smaller coolant compartments 13 intended for dry ice.Figure 2A is a side sectional view of the transportation box 11 with some fish in the foodstuff compartment 12, with some dry ice in the coolant compartments 13 and with a lid 14 on top of the box. A couple of openings 15 are shown in the lid, arranged to release oxygen and carbon dioxide when the dry ice evaporates. When the transportation boxes are rectangular as shown, there will typically be opening near all upper corners thereof, either in the lid or in the upper part of the side walls or in the area in which the lid contacts the upper edge of the side walls.Figure 2B shows enlarged an end of the lid 14 with an opening 15 therethrough. The top end of the opening 15 ends in a horizontally running groove 16 that allows oxygen and/ or CO2 entering the groove via the opening 15 to escape laterally in the cases where another transportation box or another flat bottomed box is stacked on top of the transportation box in question.Figure 3 is a side sectional view of the transportation box from figure 2, enclosed in a plastic sheet material 21 forming a plastic bag. The plastic bag is closed to the surrounding environment with the exception of a pressure release valve 22 arranged at the top of the bag. The pressure release valve is adjusted to allow a pressure build-up to a certain level well within the tolerance of the plastic bag. As mentioned, oxygen will be expelled from the plastic bag before CO2, leaving an atmosphere of mostly CO2 within the plastic bag and the transportation boxes when the pressure release valve opens. Nitrogen is also lighter than CO2 but presence of nitrogen will not damage the perishable goods.Figure 4 shows an alternative configuration in which three transportation boxes re stacked on top of each other and enclosed in a common plastic bag of the same type as the one shown in figure 3 with the exception that it is sized to hold plurality of transportation boxes. In a variant of the configuration shown in figure 4, the plastic bag is sized to envelope an entire pallet of transportation boxes 11 which in a typical arrangement comprises 27 transportation boxes, 3 in each level and a total of 9 levels stacked on top of one another. In these configurations, the presence of recesses like the one shown in figure 2B, becomes significant if the opening 15 is arranged in the lid of each transportation box.Figure 5 shows, in a top view, an embodiment that differs from the previously illustrated embodiments with regard to the nature of the pressure releasing mechanism. The enveloping plastic bag is shown as shaded, and as shown, there are recesses 21’ at each upper corner of the enveloping plastic bag, leaving the lid 14 corners uncovered. In this case, the plastic bag is typically made as shrink film bag, which means that it encloses the transportation box very tightly and rigidly, with the exception of the uncovered upper corners. Thus, the slight flexibility of the lid, allows gas to escape from the transportation box as the pressure inside it builds up, without being trapped inside any plastic bag. In this embodiment, the pressure release mechanism is not provided by a valve but by the inherent properties of the materials chosen for the lid of the transportation box and the tightness of the enveloping plastic bag.
Claims
Patentkrav1. Method for transportation of perishable goods in a dry ice cooled transportation box (11) provided by a lid (14), comprising- enveloping the transportation boxes in an essentially closed plastic sheet material (21), characterised by- providing at least one compartment (13) for dry ice within said transportation box (11) - providing vent openings (15) in the upper part of the transportation box (11), and providing a pressure release valve (22) in the otherwise closed plastic sheet material (21) to make said plastic sheet material (21) constitute part of a pressure controlling assembly controlling the pressure within the transportation box (11).2. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transportation boxes (11) are made in a foamed synthetic material.3. Method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transportation boxes (11) are made in expanded polystyrene.4. Method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transportation boxes (11) are provided with a rectangular horizontal cross-section.5. Method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the pressure controlling assembly is provided by the lid (14) and the plastic sheet material (21) in combination, the plastic sheet material (21) having the form of an enveloping shrink film enclosing the transportation box (11) with the exceptions that recesses (21’) in the film are provided at each upper corner, thereby allowing the lid (14), due to its inherent flexibility, to function as an element of the pressure controlling assembly.6. Method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the essentially closed plastic sheet material (21) envelopes each of the transportation boxes (11) separately.7. Method as claimed in any one of claims 1-5, wherein the essentially closed plastic sheet material (21) envelopes a plurality of transportation boxes.8. Transportation assembly comprising:- at least one transportation box (11) with a product compartment (12) and a lid (14) in a temperature insulating material,- at least one compartment (13) for dry icecharacterized in further comprising- vent openings (15) in the upper part of the transportation box (11), - an essentially closed plastic sheet material (21) provided with a pressure release valve (22) configured to envelop the transportation box (11) in a manner constituting a pressure controlling mechanism,- the compartment (13) for dry ice being arranged within the transportation box (11).9. Transportation assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the pressure controlling mechanism is comprised by a pressure release valve (22) arranged in the otherwise closed plastic sheet material (21) in combination with at least one vent opening (15) provided in the upper part of the transportation box (11).10. Transportation assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the pressure controlling mechanism is comprised by the lid (14) and the plastic sheet material (21) in combination, the plastic sheet material (21) having the form of an enveloping shrink film enclosing the transportation box (11) with the exceptions of recesses (21’) in the film being provided at least at one upper corner of the transportation box (11), thereby allowing the lid (14), due to its inherent flexibility, to function as an element of the pressure controlling assembly.11. Transportation assembly as claimed in any one of claims 8-9, comprising a plurality of transportation boxes (11) arranged to be stacked upon one another, arranged to be enclosed by said plastic sheet material (21) commonly or separately.12. Transportation assembly as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein the at least one transportation box (11) has rectangular horizontal cross-section and a vent opening (15) at each upper corner.Patentkrav1. Fremgangsmåte for transport av lett bedervelige varer i en tørrisavkjølt transportboks (11) utstyrt med et lokk (14), omfattende- innkapsling av transportboksene i en i hovedsak lukket plastfolie (21),karakterisert ved- å tilveiebringe minst ett rom (13) for tørris i nevnte transportboks (11)- å tilveiebringe ventilasjonsåpninger (15) i den øvre delen av transportboksen (11), og - å tilveiebringe en trykkavlastningsventil (22) i den ellers lukkede plastfolien (21) slik at plastfolien (21) utgjør en del av en trykkreguleringsenhet som regulerer trykket i transportboksen (11).2. Fremgangsmåte ifølge krav 1, idet transportboksene (11) er laget av et skummet syntetisk materiale.3. Fremgangsmåte ifølge krav 2, idet transportboksene (11) er laget av ekspandert polystyren.4. Fremgangsmåte ifølge et hvilket som helst av de foregående kravene, idet transportboksene (11) h et rektangulært har horisontalt tverrsnitt.5. Fremgangsmåte ifølge krav 4, idet trykkreguleringsenheten er tilveiebragt av lokket (14) og plastfolien (21) i kombinasjon, idet plastfolien (21) har form av en omsluttende krympefilm som omslutter transportboksen (11), med unntak av at utsparinger (21') i filmen er anordnet i hvert øvre hjørne, slik at lokket (14) på grunn av sin iboende fleksibilitet kan fungere som et element i trykkreguleringsenheten.6. Fremgangsmåte ifølge et hvilket som helst av de foregående kravene, idet den i hovedsak lukkede plastfolien (21) omslutter hver av transportboksene (11) separat.7. Fremgangsmåte ifølge et hvilket som helst av kravene 1-5, idet den i hovedsak lukkede plastfolien (21) omslutter flere transportbokser.8. Transportenhet bestående av- minst én transportboks (11) med et produktrom (12) og et lokk (14) i et temperaturisolerende materiale,- minst ett rom (13) for tørriskarakterisert ved at den videre omfatter- ventilasjonsåpninger (15) i den øvre delen av transportboksen (11),- en i hovedsak lukket plastfolie (21) utstyrt med en trykkavlastningsventil (22) som er innrettet til å omslutte transportboksen (11) på en måte som utgjør en trykkreguleringsmekanisme,- idet rommet (13) for tørris er anordnet i transportboksen (11).9. Transportenhet ifølge krav 8, idet trykkreguleringsmekanismen består av en trykkavlastningsventil (22) som er anordnet i den ellers lukkede plastfolien (21) i kombinasjon med minst én ventilasjonsåpning (15) tilveiebragt i den øvre delen av transportboksen (11).10. Transportenhet ifølge krav 8, idet trykkreguleringsmekanismen består av lokket (14) og plastfolien (21) i kombinasjon, idet plastfolien (21) har form av en omsluttende krympefilm som omslutter transportboksen (11), med unntak av utsparinger (21') i folien, tilveiebragt ved minst ett øvre hjørne av transportboksen (11), slik at lokket (14) på grunn av dets iboende fleksibilitet, kan fungere som et element i trykkreguleringsmekanismen.11. Transportenhet ifølge et hvilket som helst av kravene 8-9, omfattende flere transportbokser (11) som er anordnet for å stables på hverandre, og som er anordnet for å være omsluttet av plastfolien (21) sammen eller hver for seg.12. Transportenhet ifølge krav 10 eller 11, idet den minst ene transportboksen (11) har et rektangulært horisontalt tverrsnitt og en ventilasjonsåpning (15) ved hvert øvre hjørne.
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Patent classes

IPC classesB65D 81/20B65D 81/24B65D 81/26CPC classesB65D 81/20B65D 81/2046B65D 81/2069B65D 81/24B65D 81/26

Citations

US 6269946 B1 (B1)KR 20160053497 A (A)US 2004/096552 A1 (A1)

Applicants, owners and inventors

Owners
PCG IMPORT ASSIST AS
Grasmenipo 48 5355 KNARREVIK NO (ØYGARDEN Municipality, Vestland county)Org. number: 919873752Inventors
Arne Aarhus
Grasmenipo 48 5355 KNARREVIK NO (ØYGARDEN Municipality, Vestland county)

Agent

ACAPO ONSAGERS AS
ACAPO ONSAGERS AS

Org. number: 932214636

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Edvard Griegs vei 1 5059 BERGEN NO (BERGEN Municipality, Vestland county)
Org. number: 932214636
Reference: P20230155NO

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