Container insert incorporating thermally insulative panels

Abstract

A container insert for providing a thermally insulated enclosure. The container insert includes a bottom panel, side panels and end panels that are interconnected by a plastic backing sheet. The side panels and end panels can be pivoted upwardly to form side walls and end walls. The plastic backing sheet covers the seams between adjacent insulation panels to provide a moisture barrier. The plastic backing sheet can also urge adjacent panels together to reduce the gap between adjacent panels and improve thermal performance.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 911,386 entitled “CONTAINER INSERT INCORPORATING THERMALLY INSULATIVE PANELS”, filed Apr. 12, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to the field of thermally insulated containers that are adapted for the packaging, containment and / or transport of temperature sensitive goods.[0004]2. Description of Related Art[0005]Insulated containers having thermally insulated walls are utilized for the containment and / or transport of goods that can be damaged or otherwise rendered unsuitable for use if exposed to temperatures outside of a particular temperature range. Thermal insulation can be used to maintain a desired temperature within the container despite increases or decreases in the exterior (ambient) temperature.[0006]For examp...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015]Standard insulation materials, including the compressible insulation disclosed by Frysinger et al. and Lehman et al., do not provide the thermal resistance of VIPs, and will inherentl

Problems solved by technology

The market segment for containers less than about one cubic foot in size is currently very limited due to the need for a small, lightweight cooling mechanism and due to the need to use relatively thin insulating walls to maximize the available space for the product cavity.

The high cost of shipping is at least partially related to the volume occupied by the EPS insulation.

VIPs have a high thermal resistance; however, they are much more costly than EPS sheets.

When utilizing a container or similar article that is insulated with VIPs, the highest potential for thermal losses from the container occurs at the edges and corners where two VIPs are in contact.

Having an inade

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