Patents by Inventor Heather M. Conway

Heather M. Conway has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20250035362
    Abstract: Method and system for storing and/or transporting temperature-sensitive materials. In one embodiment, the system is designed for use as a dry ice shipper and includes an outer box, a vacuum insulated panel (VIP) base assembly, a VIP lid assembly, and a gas flow director. The VIP base assembly is positioned within the outer box and includes VIPs arranged to form a 5-sided container with an open top. The VIP lid assembly, which may be coupled to a top closure flap of the outer box, includes a VIP dimensioned to close the open top of the VIP base assembly. The gas flow director, which may comprise a bag having an open top end folded over upon itself so as to be closed, but not sealed shut, may be positioned within the VIP base assembly, under the VIP lid assembly, to inhibit convective gas flow that promotes excessive dry ice sublimation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2024
    Publication date: January 30, 2025
    Inventors: Heather M. Conway, Raymond A. McCarthy, Geoffrey Kaiser, James Nilsen, Henry Melchor, Dawn E. Smith, Connor Richard Bourgeois, Johnathan B. Francis
  • Patent number: 12077363
    Abstract: Method and system for storing and/or transporting temperature-sensitive materials. In one embodiment, the system is designed for use as a dry ice shipper and includes an outer box, a vacuum insulated panel (VIP) base assembly, a VIP lid assembly, and a gas flow director. The VIP base assembly is positioned within the outer box and includes five VIPs arranged to form a container having a bottom, four sides, and an open top. The VIP lid assembly, which may be coupled to a top closure flap of the outer box, includes a VIP dimensioned to close the open top of the VIP base assembly. The gas flow director, which may comprise a bag having an opening at its top end, may be positioned within the outer box and may be used to receive the VIP base assembly. The gas flow director inhibits convective gas flow that promotes excessive dry ice sublimation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: COLD CHAIN TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Heather M. Conway, Raymond A. McCarthy, Geoffrey Kaiser, James Nilsen, Henry Melchor, Dawn E. Smith
  • Publication number: 20230064825
    Abstract: Method and system for maintaining temperature-sensitive materials within a desired temperature range for an extended time. In one embodiment, the system includes an outer box having a rectangular cavity. An insulation unit is snugly but removably positioned in the rectangular cavity. The insulation unit includes a support and a thermal insulation member. The support may be a generally rectangular sleeve with four sides, an open bottom and an open top. The thermal insulation may be a bilayer material wrapped around the four sides of the support to form a spiral structure. The bilayer material may include a first sheet of an expanded slit-sheet packaging material and a second sheet of tissue paper. The system may additionally include a bottom insulation member at the bottom of the support, a top insulation member at the top of the support, and a payload and temperature-control members between the top and bottom insulation member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Heather M. Conway, Dawn E. Smith, Geoffrey Kaiser
  • Publication number: 20220267081
    Abstract: Method and system for storing and/or transporting temperature-sensitive materials. In one embodiment, the system is designed for use as a dry ice shipper and includes an outer box, a vacuum insulated panel (VIP) base assembly, a VIP lid assembly, and a gas flow director. The VIP base assembly is positioned within the outer box and includes five VIPs arranged to form a container having a bottom, four sides, and an open top. The VIP lid assembly, which may be coupled to a top closure flap of the outer box, includes a VIP dimensioned to close the open top of the VIP base assembly. The gas flow director, which may comprise a bag having an opening at its top end, may be positioned within the outer box and may be used to receive the VIP base assembly. The gas flow director inhibits convective gas flow that promotes excessive dry ice sublimation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Heather M. Conway, Raymond A. McCarthy, Geoffrey Kaiser, James Nilsen, Henry Melchor, Dawn E. Smith