Patent WO-2023031976-A1 (WO)
Inventor: ZACCHI LUCA
IPC: F25D3/08
Filed: 2022-08-29
Abstract: The present invention describes a thermal container for packaging designed to be used to contain packages of pharmaceuticals and/or products which must be transported at a temperature which is maintained virtually constant (comprised at least between +2° and +8°) for at least 48/72 hours. The thermal container is composed of a primary container (2) provided to contain a secondary container (3) suitable for housing therewithin cold accumulators (4) and pharmaceuticals (6) and/or a possible auxiliary container (5) intended to receive the pharmaceuticals (6). The primary container is provided to delay the thermal balance between the interior (housing the pharmaceuticals) and the exterior (surrounding environment) for as long as possible. In particular, the secondary container (3) is composed of three reciprocally separate, independent boxes designed to be stacked in a clearly defined order, wherein the central box (30) is intended to house the pharmaceuticals (6) while the upper box (31) and the lower box (32) are provided to receive the refrigerating devices (4), which may be classic cold accumulators or dry ice, depending on the desired temperatures, and which are used to preserve the pharmaceuticals. The three boxes (30, 31 and 32) are configured to be arranged one on top of the other in the sequence stated earlier to form the secondary container (3) whose configuration is envisaged to allow the central box containing the pharmaceuticals to be "enveloped" on six sides by a temperature which is lower (due to the presence of the cooling devices) with respect to that of the central box and to dispense and distribute cold energy without the primary container having to intervene, which meanwhile, has the task of insulating the secondary container against the outer environment and against the temperature thereof since a plurality of passageways is created around the central box for the air, which is cooled by the cold accumulators and circulates around the central box, therefore the pharmaceutical temperature maintenance function exists and is active also when the secondary container is extracted from the primary container since the cold air continues to circulate inside the secondary container. The thermal container comprises a temperature device (9) for monitoring the temperature in the pharmaceuticals area and a security locking mechanism (10) for the primary container, which has the task of mutually fixing the box and lid in a secure way during transportation and enabling the end user to check and guarantee the fact that the container has not been tampered with or opened during the transportation operations, which could result in the risk of deterioration or theft of the products contained therein, and that the container has reached its destination in the same condition in which it left. To be able to open the primary container (2) and release the lid (25), it is necessary to break the locking mechanism (10), which essentially consists of a plate (11) located in the box and a plaque (12) with opening lock (120) designed to be engaged in the lid of the container, which are mutually secured by a locking element (13).