Patent ID: 8468836

Claim:
A portable cooling/heating unit for removable mounting to a product container in cooling/heating an interior containment region of the product container, the unit comprising: a housing including a front panel and a rear panel assembled to a base, the housing forming: a front side channel at least partially defined by the front panel, a rear side channel at least partially defined by the rear panel, a condensation passageway segment at least partially defined by the base as part of a condensation passageway that fluidly connects the front and rear side channels; wherein the base includes: a bottom plate defining a leading side assembled to the front panel and a trailing side assembled to the rear panel; and a rib projecting from the bottom plate intermediate the leading and trailing sides; wherein the rib partially separates the front and rear side channels in defining a portion of the condensation passageway; a thermoelectric assembly maintained by the housing and including: a thermoelectric device forming opposing, first and second surfaces, a first heat sink thermally connected to the first surface and maintained within the front side channel, a second heat sink thermally connected to the second surface and maintained within the rear side channel; a front side fan disposed within the front side channel, wherein relative to an upright orientation of the unit, the front side fan is above the first heat sink, and the first heat sink is above the condensation passageway; and a rear side fan disposed within the rear side channel; wherein the unit is configured for removable assembly to a product container such that the front side channel is fluidly open to an interior containment region of the product container and condensation generated at the first heat sink during operation of the thermoelectric device is directed from the front side channel to the rear side channel via the condensation passageway.