Portable self-contained cooler/freezer apparatus for use on airplanes, common carrier type unrefrigerated truck lines, and vessels

摘要

A transportable container for carrying refrigerated products in frozen (sub zero Fahrenheit (below -18° C.) or refrigerated (for example, 40° F. (4° C.) temperatures includes a structural container having an insulated outer shell with an access doorway. The upper portion of the container includes a tray or drawer in which are disposed a pair of spaced apart canisters containing liquid refrigerant (CO.sub.2, for example). A gas or liquid feeder tube penetrates each bottle and communicates with an on/off valve. A feeder tube can draw liquid to dispense for cooling, or it can release gas and pressure within the canister to boil the CO.sub.2. When CO.sub.2 reaches its boiling point, the canister, its bracket, and the cold plate reach very cold temperatures to cool the cargo area through conduction. The gas is released through an injection nozzle into the cargo holding area. A temperature regulator valve dispenses CO.sub.2 from the canisters through a header in order to maintain a desired temperature over a wide span of temperatures including, for example sub zero temperatures (-40. degree. F. (-40° C.), for example) up to room temperature. Preferably, the container has a base plate having at least two spaced apart, parallel slots adapted to be engaged by a forklift lifting device. In addition or in the alternative, the container can advantageously have a strap lifting system which allows it to be easily lifted by a crane.