WINE REFRIGERATION AND TRANSPORT

Abstract

A system and method of transporting wine includes packaging bottles of wine in an insulated container having a cold pack. The containers are transported in an insulated carrier from a winery or warehouse to an intermediate location, such as a warehouse or overnight carrier, and then transported to the intended recipient, such as a residence, a wine wholesaler, or a wine retailer, by uninsulated overnight carrier. The thermal properties of the container are chosen to keep the wine below a target temperature even if the overnight carrier is unsuccessful in delivering the wine on a first try.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to food and beverage technology, and more particularly to temperature control and preservation of wine during transport.

Wine degrades if subjected to high temperature even for a short period. To prevent degradation, commercial sellers of wine frequently ship wine across the United States from a winery or warehouse under refrigeration. If the quantity of the shipment is sufficiently large, a dedicated refrigerated truck may transport the wine from one refrigerated or temperature controlled environment to another. Also, custom wine shipments, such as quantities ranging from one bottle to a few cases, from retailers, are often shipped by air. But because shipping by air is costly, it is limited to expensive products. Moreover, air transport often has large temperature fluctuations, which may also degrade wine.

Accordingly, it is currently the practice for retailers, such as online wine merchants, to suspend shipping wine to private residences during the summer months, especially to the southern parts of the United States, to prevent degradation due to exposure to high temperatures. The cold chain technology for shipping small quantities of wine, such as between one bottle and a few cases (such as two cases), exists, but it is not currently in widespread use because of the high cost. There is a need for improved cold chain systems and methods to enable inexpensive and widespread transport of small quantities of wine during summer months throughout the United States without massive investment in new cold chain infrastructure.

SUMMARY

A packaging system and a corresponding method employ a conventional refrigerated truck to transport the packaging system for a first part of the trip, then employ a conventional un-refrigerated carrier for the last part of the trip to the intended recipient.

A method of controlling temperature of a plurality of wine shipments during transport includes: packaging bottled wine in a plurality of packaging systems, transporting the plurality of packaging systems by a refrigerated truck to an intermediate location; and after the refrigerated transporting step, transporting the wine in the packaging system by un-refrigerated trucks to predetermined end recipients.

Preferably, each packaging system includes (i) a compartment for holding the bottled wine, (ii) thermal insulation between the wine bottle compartment and the ambient atmosphere, and (iii) a cold pack, wherein the packaging system is adapted to maintain the wine bottle compartment between 40 and 80 degrees F. for up to 72 hours after release from release of the refrigerated container where local temperatures are 110 degrees F. or less. Preferably, the packaging system is adapted to maintain the wine bottle compartment between 45 and 65 degrees F. for between 24 and 48 hours. Optimal wine storage temperature is 56 degrees.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an insulated packaging system; and

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of the steps according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

According to an aspect of the present invention, a packaging system 10 includes a container 20 and cold pack 30. Referring to FIG. 1, container 20 has an outer enclosure 22, a body 24 having recesses 26 for receiving the body of a conventional wine bottle, and a top 34 having recesses 36 for receiving the neck or finish of a conventional wine bottle. Container 20 preferably is a conventional box. Body 26 may be formed of any material, such as expanded foam, pressed paperboard, and the like. Container 20 preferably is sized to securely hold and cushion several bottles, and also encompasses sizes for holding a case of bottles, or more.

FIG. 1 illustrates container 20 in its open position with top 34 pivoted open to enable access to bottle body recesses 26 for loading wine bottles (not shown in the figures) therein. To load, wine bottles may be inserted into recesses 26 until the bottles are fully inserted. Preferably, the underside of container 20 includes cushioning or insulation as needed. Upon loading of bottles into recesses 28, cold packs 30 may be inserted into container 20. Preferably, cold packs 30 have an approximate C-shape such that cold pack 30 can be engaged with the small dimension of body 24 defined between recesses 26. The quantity and size of cold packs 30 may be determined by process conditions and goals. Upon loading bottles into recesses 26, top 34 may be placed over the necks or finishes of the bottles such that the upper end of the bottles extend into recesses 36.

Due to the fact that wine can be damaged by both high and low temperatures, it is necessary to maintain temperatures within the acceptable range. Phase Change Materials (PCMs) melt and freeze at temperatures other than water. In this application, PCMs that phase change in the 10 to 24 degree Celsius range are ideal. The particular composition and structure of cold packs 30 may be determined by conventional methods, as will be understood by persons familiar with phase change materials and heat transfer technology.

Preferably, container 20 has thermal insulation between the wine bottle compartment and the ambient atmosphere (that is, the area outside of container 20) and a cold pack 30 that are configured to maintain the wine bottle compartment between 40 and 80 degrees F. for up to 72 hours after release from a refrigerated atmosphere into an ambient atmosphere at a temperature of 110 degrees F. More preferably, the insulation and cold pack are configured to maintain the wine bottle compartment between 45 degrees and 65 degrees for up to 72 hours, and most preferably between 45 degrees and 65 degrees for between 24 and 48 hours at ambient temperature of 100 degrees F.

A person familiar with packaging technology will understand the choices of thermal insulating materials and configurations, cushioning to avoid damage during transport, and phase change material technology to provide various configurations of containers. The particular configuration and design choices will vary according to the number of wine bottles and their size, the desired maximum wine temperature, expected ambient conditions, and the like. Accordingly, the present invention encompasses any configuration of the container.

The thermal characteristics of container 20 enable a system and method of wine transport in which plural wine containers 20, each containing one more bottles of wine, are transported from their origin, such as a winery or warehouse, by refrigerated truck to an intermediate location. The refrigerated truck may be a commercial truck, a truck owned by the winery or merchant, an overnight courier, such as United Parcel Service or Federal Express, or from any other source. The intermediate location may be a cold storage warehouse or a non-refrigerated warehouse, such as a warehouse of an overnight carrier.

After the plural containers 20 are delivered to the intermediate location, the containers 20 may be loaded onto unrefrigerated trucks, such as those operated by overnight carriers, for delivery to the end user, such a residence, a wine wholesaler, or a wine retailer. The term “intermediate location” also encompasses the unrefrigerated trucks themselves, such that the present invention encompasses loading the unrefrigerated trucks directly from the refrigerated trucks.

The thermal characteristics of containers 20 enable the use of the widespread system of overnight carriers to deliver wine from the intermediate locations to the end recipients. The inventors recognized that shipping wine has the particular problem that an adult must take delivery. Accordingly, the thermal properties of containers 20 are chosen to keep the wine below a recommended temperature in the event of a first unsuccessful attempt to deliver the wine to the intended recipient.

The above disclosure describes preferred methods and structure, but is not intended to be limiting. For example, a particular structure of a container is disclosed. The present invention is not limited to the particular structure or function of the container described above. The present invention encompasses a foam or paperboard body having openings forming layers for receiving phase change materials. The present invention is defined by the claims, and broadly encompasses variations that flow naturally from the disclosure.

Claims

1. A method of controlling temperature of a plurality of wine shipments during transport, comprising the steps of:

a. packaging bottled wine in a plurality of packaging systems, each packaging system including (i) a compartment for holding the bottled wine, (ii) thermal insulation between the wine bottle compartment and the ambient atmosphere, and (iii) a cold pack, wherein the packaging system is adapted to maintain the wine bottle compartment between 40 and 80 degrees F. for up to 72 hours after release from release of the refrigerated container where local temperatures are 110 degrees F. or less;

b. transporting the plurality of packaging systems by a refrigerated truck to an intermediate location; and

c. after the transporting step b., transporting the wine in the packaging system by un-refrigerated trucks to predetermined end recipients.

2. The method of claim 1 whereby the insulation and cold pack are capable of maintaining the wine below a predetermined temperature for one unsuccessful delivery cycle by the unrefrigerated truck.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the end recipient is a residence, a wine wholesaler, or a wine retailer.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the packaging system is adapted to maintain the wine bottle compartment between 45 degrees and 65 degrees.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the packaging system is adapted to maintain the wine bottle compartment between 45 degrees and 65 degrees for between 24 and 48 hours.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the unrefrigerated truck is an overnight carrier.

7. A system for controlling temperature of a plurality of wine shipments during transport, comprising:

a plurality of packaging system, each packaging system including (i) a compartment for holding the bottled wine, (ii) thermal insulation between the wine bottle compartment and the ambient atmosphere, and (iii) a cold pack, wherein the packaging system is adapted to maintain the wine bottle compartment between 40 and 80 degrees F. for up to 72 hours after release from release of the refrigerated container where local temperatures are 110 degrees F. or less;

a refrigerated truck for transporting the plurality of packaging systems to an intermediate location; and

an unrefrigerated truck for transporting the packaging systems to predetermined end recipients.

8. The system of claim 7 whereby the insulation and cold pack are capable of maintaining the wine below a predetermined temperature for one unsuccessful delivery cycle by the unrefrigerated truck.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the end recipient is a residence, a wine wholesaler, or a wine retailer.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the packaging system is adapted to maintain the wine bottle compartment between 45 degrees and 65 degrees.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the packaging system is adapted to maintain the wine bottle compartment between 45 degrees and 65 degrees for between 24 and 48 hours.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the unrefrigerated truck is an overnight carrier.