Insulated container

Abstract

The thermally insulated container may be configured to retain a volume of at least 1800 cubic centimeters, the volume including an outer shell and an inner shell. The outer shell and the inner shell may be integrally joined together to form an insulating double-wall structure with a sealed vacuum chamber interposed between the two shells. A compressible support member may be placed between the bottom wall of the outer shell and the bottom wall of the inner shell to assist in forming a flat bottom wall of the inner shell when forming the vacuum cavity.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 868,471, filed on July 19, 2022, the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference for any and all non-limiting purposes.

[0003] This application is related to the following applications: U.S. Application No. 16 / 620,766 filed on December 9, 2019, U.S. Application No. 16 / 075,384 filed on February 3, 2017, and U.S. Application No. 15 / 285,268 filed on October 4, 2016. The entire contents of the above-listed applications are incorporated herein by reference for any and all non-limiting purposes. Technical Field

[0004] The present disclosure relates generally to containers, and more particularly to rigid insulated containers for beverages or food. Background Art

[0005] The container can be configured to store food and / or a certain volume of liquid. The container can be composed of a rigid material, such as metal. These containers can be formed by a double-walled vacuum-formed construction to provide insulating properties to help maintain the temperature of the food or beverage in the container. Summary of the invention

[0006] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0007] In some examples, the insulated container can be configured to retain a certain amount of food and / or beverage. The insulated container may include: (1) a metal outer shell, including an outer side wall and an outer bottom wall; (2) a metal inner shell, including an inner side wall surface and an inner bottom wall; and (3) a support member, located between the outer bottom wall and the inner bottom wall. The outer shell can be connected to the inner shell to form an insulated double-wall structure, wherein a sealed vacuum chamber is between the outer shell and the inner shell. The insulated container can have an insulated container with a top opening at the top of the inner side wall, the top opening leading to a storage cavity formed by the inner side wall and the inner bottom wall, wherein the storage cavity can have a volume greater than 1800 cubic centimeters. The top opening can have a width in the range of 240 mm and 250 mm. Additionally, the support member can be fixed between the outer bottom wall and the inner bottom wall by friction fit, and can include ceramic fiber insulation material. The support member may also have a porosity greater than 60% and may also have a thermal conductivity within the range of .013 W / (m*K) and .040 W / (m*K). In some examples, the height of the support member is reduced by at least 30% from the height of the support member in an uncompressed state. The inner bottom wall of the container may have a central area that is substantially flat. The outer bottom wall may have a lower annular cavity, wherein the lower annular cavity may include a continuous inner cavity wall and a continuous outer cavity wall. The inner cavity wall of the lower annular cavity may be adjacent to the support member, and in some cases, the inner cavity wall of the lower annular cavity may be adjacent to the support member along the entire inner cavity wall.

[0008] Some aspects of the present disclosure may also relate to a method for forming an insulated container, the method comprising: (1) forming a metal outer shell, the metal outer shell having a first opening at the top end of the outer shell, wherein the outer shell includes an outer side wall and an outer bottom wall; (2) forming a metal inner shell, the metal inner shell having a second opening at the top end of the inner shell, wherein the inner shell has an inner side wall and an inner bottom wall; (3) placing a support member on the outer bottom wall, the support member comprising a ceramic material; (4) placing the inner shell into the first opening of the outer shell, with the inner bottom wall contacting the upper surface of the support member; (5) positioning the upper edge of the inner shell to align with the upper edge of the outer shell to compress the support member, wherein the support member is compressed to reduce the height by at least 30% from the height of the support member in an uncompressed state; (6) integrally joining the upper edge of the inner shell to the upper edge of the outer shell; and (7) extracting a certain amount of gas from the cavity between the outer shell and the inner shell to form a sealed vacuum cavity between the outer shell and the inner shell. The housing may include a lower chamber, the lower chamber being on the outer bottom wall, and the lower chamber may include an inner chamber wall, an outer chamber wall, and a bottom chamber wall, wherein the inner chamber wall forms a continuous ring. In addition, the bottom chamber wall may include three holes, and a certain amount of gas is extracted through the three holes. The support member may be placed in a continuous ring formed by the inner chamber wall. In some examples, the outer shell and the inner shell may be formed of stainless steel. The support member may have a thermal conductivity in the range of .013W / (m*K) and .040W / (m*K), wherein the support member includes ceramic fiber insulation material. The insulated container may have a diameter at the top opening, the diameter being in the range of 230mm and 260mm, and the storage chamber having a height in the range of 180mm and 220mm.

[0009] Still other aspects of the present disclosure may relate to an insulated container, comprising: (1) a metal outer shell, comprising an outer side wall and an outer bottom wall, wherein the outer bottom wall has a lower annular cavity, and the lower annular cavity includes an inner cavity wall, an outer cavity wall and a bottom cavity wall; (2) a metal inner shell, comprising an inner side wall and an inner bottom wall, wherein the inner bottom wall includes a flat central area; (3) a support member, located between the outer bottom wall and the inner bottom wall, wherein the support member is positioned adjacent to the inner cavity wall. The support member can be compressed by more than 30% from an uncompressed state. In addition, the outer shell can be integrally joined to the inner shell to form an insulated double-wall structure, wherein a sealed vacuum cavity is interposed between the outer shell and the inner shell. The insulated container can have a top opening, the top opening extending into the storage cavity, wherein the storage cavity has a volume in the range of 1800 cubic centimeters and 4000 cubic centimeters. The insulated container can also include a foot support, the foot support is connected to the lower annular cavity, wherein the foot support includes a pair of engaging members, and wherein the elastomeric foot member is connected to the foot support. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example, and not limitation, in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements, and in which:

[0011] Figure 1 Depicted is a perspective view of an insulated container according to one or more aspects described herein with a carrying handle attached.

[0012] Figure 2 Depicts a portable device without a carrying handle according to one or more aspects described herein. Figure 1 Perspective view of an insulated container.

[0013] Figure 3 Describes one or more aspects described herein Figure 2 An exploded perspective view of an insulated container.

[0014] Figure 4 Describes one or more aspects described herein Figure 2 Front view of an insulated container.

[0015] Figure 5 Describes one or more aspects described herein Figure 2 Rear view of the insulated container.

[0016] Figure 6 Describes one or more aspects described herein Figure 2 Right side view of the insulated container.

[0017] Figure 7 Describes one or more aspects described herein Figure 2 Left side view of the insulated container.

[0018] Figure 8 Describes one or more aspects described herein Figure 2 Top view of the insulated container.

[0019] Fig. 9 Describes one or more aspects described herein Figure 2 A bottom view of an insulated container with the foot members removed.

[0020] Fig.10 Depicted is a diagram of a process along line 10-10 according to one or more aspects described herein. Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of an insulated container with the foot members removed.

[0021] Fig.11 Describes one or more aspects described herein Fig.10 Magnified image of .

[0022] Fig.12Describes one or more aspects described herein Fig.10 An enlarged view of the device in which the foot member is attached.

[0023] Fig.13 Describes one or more aspects described herein Figure 2 A perspective view of a support member of a container.

[0024] Fig.14 Describes one or more aspects described herein Fig.13 A side view of a support member.

[0025] Fig.15 Described is a method for forming a Figure 2 A flow chart of a method for a container.

[0026] Further, it should be understood that the drawings may represent the proportions of different components of the various examples; however, the disclosed embodiments are not limited to this particular proportion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In the following description of various examples, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the various examples, and in which various examples of some aspects of the present disclosure may be practiced are shown by way of illustration. It should be understood that other examples may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. In addition, although the terms "top", "bottom", "front", "side", "rear", etc. may be used in this specification to describe various example features and elements of the examples, these terms are used herein for convenience, for example, based on the example orientations shown in the figures or the orientations during typical use. Nothing in this specification should be interpreted as requiring a specific three-dimensional orientation of the structure to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0028] The following terms are used in this specification and, unless otherwise indicated or clear from the context, have the meanings provided below.

[0029] As used herein, "integrally joined technology" means a technology for joining two pieces so that the two pieces effectively become a single integral piece, including but not limited to irreversible joining technologies such as adhesive bonding, gluing, welding, brazing, soldering, etc., in which case separation of the joined pieces cannot be accomplished without damaging the structure of the joined pieces. Pieces joined using such technology are described as "integrally joined".

[0030] As used herein, "complex number" refers to any number greater than 1, disjunctive or conjunctive as desired, up to an infinite number.

[0031] As used herein, "substantially planar" means that a surface is flat or contained within a plane and does not vary by more than + / - 5%.

[0032] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to insulated containers. Figures 1 to 12 An insulated container 100 is depicted, wherein Figure 1 An isometric view of the insulated container 100 is depicted with the carrying handle 10 and lid 12 attached. The insulated container 100 may be used as a bucket or other container for holding oversized items or fluids. Figure 2 The insulated container 100 is shown with the carrying handle 10 and lid 12 removed. In the example shown, the insulated container 100 may generally have a shape similar to a frustum of a cone having a tapered outer sidewall 102. The insulated container 100 may have a top opening 104 at an upper end 106 of the container 100, while a lower end 108 is configured to sit on a flat surface. Figure 3 As shown, the insulated container 100 can be formed by an outer shell 110, which is joined to an inner shell 140 using a support member 160, and the support member 160 is fixed between the outer shell 110 and the inner shell 140. The outer shell 110 may include an outer bottom wall 112 and an outer side wall 102, and the outer side wall 102 may include an outward-facing surface 114. The inner shell 140 may include an inner side wall 142, wherein the inner side wall 142 may include an inner side wall surface 144 and an inner bottom wall 146. The top opening 104 at the upper end 106 can extend into a storage cavity 150, which can be configured to hold liquid or food. The storage cavity 150 can be formed by the inner side wall surface 144 and the inner bottom wall 146. The support member 160 can be located between the outer bottom wall 112 of the outer shell 110 and the inner bottom wall 146 of the inner shell 140. Although the illustrated example has a frusto-conical shape, the shape of the container 100 may be any shape, such as a rectangular parallelepiped, a generally cylindrical shape, or other three-dimensional shape that can hold items or fluids.

[0033] In an exemplary embodiment, the insulated container 100 may include a double-walled structure, which may be a vacuum insulated double-walled structure, in which the outer shell 110 is connected to the inner shell 140. The double-walled structure may form a sealed vacuum chamber 120 between the outer shell 110 and the inner shell 140, such as Fig. 9As shown. A portion of the sealed vacuum chamber 120 may include a thermal insulation or support member 160. The support member 160 may include a single member or multiple structures. The support member 160 may be located between the outer bottom wall 112 of the outer shell 110 and the inner bottom wall 146 of the inner shell 140. Due to the compression of the support member 160 during assembly, the support member 160 may be fixed between the outer bottom wall 112 and the inner bottom wall 146 by friction fit. In some examples, the support member 160 may be fixed to either or both of the outer bottom wall 112 and the inner bottom wall 146 using an adhesive. Additionally, the support member 160 may be fixed in place by features that may be located on either or both of the outer bottom wall 112 and the inner bottom wall 146. These features may surround or partially surround the support member 160. The support member 160 can be one or more discrete structures or a single structure, wherein the one or more discrete structures are arranged in an array, and the single structure partially or completely fills the lower cavity 122 of the sealed vacuum cavity 120, and the lower cavity 122 is formed between the inner cavity wall 132 of the outer shell 110 and the inner shell 140.

[0034] The container 100 can be sized to contain oversized items and can be used as an insulated bucket or container. For example, the container 100 can maintain a volume greater than 1800 cubic centimeters. In some examples, the container 100 can maintain a volume within the range of 1900 cubic centimeters and 3000 cubic centimeters, or a volume within the range of 1800 cubic centimeters and 4000 cubic centimeters, or a volume greater than or even greater than 4000 cubic centimeters. In the example shown, the width W or diameter of the top opening 104 can be within the range of 240mm and 250mm, or within the range of 230mm and 260mm, wherein the width W is defined as the horizontal distance across the widest part of the storage cavity 150. In addition, the height of the storage cavity 150 of the container 100 can be greater than 160mm, or within the range of 160mm and 240mm, or within the range of 180mm and 220mm, wherein the height H is defined as the vertical distance between the upper end 106 of the top opening 104 and the inner bottom wall 146. The width W may be greater than the height H. In addition, the width and the height may be expressed as a ratio of each other. For example, the ratio of the width W of the top opening 104 to the height H of the storage cavity may be approximately 1.23:1, or in the range of 1.31:1 and 1.14:1, or in the range of 1.44:1 and 1.1:1. In an example that may have a shape different from the example shown, such as a rectangular parallelepiped, the container 100 may have an outer dimension with a height in the range of 300 mm and 400 mm, a length in the range of 430 mm and 530 mm, and a width in the range of 300 mm and 400 mm, and an inner volume in the range of 1800 cubic centimeters and 4000 cubic centimeters.

[0035] like Figure 8 , Fig.10 and Fig.12 As shown, the container 100 may include a foot member 190 to provide a non-slip surface to support the container 100. The foot member 190 may be attached to the outer bottom wall 112. The outer bottom wall 112 may include a lower cavity 130. The lower cavity 130 may include an inner cavity wall 132, an outer cavity wall 134, and a bottom cavity wall 136. The lower cavity 130 may be annular, so that the inner cavity wall 132 and the outer cavity wall 134 each form a continuous ring spaced apart from each other. The support member 160 may be placed within the continuous ring formed by the inner cavity wall 132. The inner cavity wall 132 of the lower cavity 130 may be adjacent to the support member 160, and in some cases contact the support member 160, such as Fig.12 As shown. The inner cavity wall 132 can help secure and align the support member 160 so that as the support member 160 is compressed during assembly of the container 100, the support member 160 is properly positioned and held in place. Although the example shown includes an annular lower cavity 130, the lower cavity can have other shapes, such as square, circular, oval, or other geometric shapes. In other examples, the lower cavity 130 can include multiple cavities 130 arranged in such a manner that at least a portion of the cavity wall can help secure and position the support member 160. Additionally, in examples with multiple lower cavities, each of the lower cavities can include a separate foot member or a foot member having a portion received in each of the lower cavities.

[0036] The foot support 170 can be located in the lower annular cavity 130. The foot support 170 can be connected to the bottom cavity wall 136 and can include a hook member or multiple hook members 172, which engage and fix the elastomeric foot member 190. The foot member 190 can be annular and form a non-slip surface to support the container 100. In addition, a plurality of openings 138 can be located along the bottom cavity wall 136. The openings 138 can be circular holes and can be evenly spaced around the lower annular cavity 130. In the example shown, the plurality of openings 138 include three openings, but the number of openings can be two openings, four openings, or more than four openings. As discussed below, the openings 138 can assist in extracting gas from the cavity formed between the outer shell 110 and the inner shell 140. In addition, the holes 138 can be aligned with similar openings 174, which are arranged along the bottom surface of the foot support 170.

[0037] Fig.11A partial cross-section of an upper portion of the container 100 is shown. The outer shell 110 may include a protruding member 125 configured to receive an attachment member of the handle 10 that may be attached to the container 100. In addition, the inner shell 140 has a lip 149 that flares outward to an upper edge 148 that contacts the upper edge 118 of the outer shell 110.

[0038] Fig.13 and Fig.14 A support member 160 is shown. The support member 160 can help stabilize the inner bottom wall 146. Although the example of the support member 160 shown has a cylindrical shape, the support member 160 can have different shapes, such as a cube, a cone, or other similar shapes. In some examples, the support member 160 may include a plurality of members joined together to form the support member 160, or may include a plurality of members arranged between the outer bottom wall 112 and the inner bottom wall 146 to provide structural rigidity between the two walls 112, 146. Since the sealed vacuum chamber 120 is formed between the outer shell 110 and the inner shell 140, the total height Hs of the uncompressed support member 160 can be reduced (e.g., compressed) by at least 30%. The height Hs of the uncompressed state can be defined as the height Hs of the support member 160 before the support member 160 is installed in the outer shell 110 when forming the container 100, as described in more detail below. In other examples, the height Hs can be reduced by at least 50% from the height Hs of the support member 160 in the uncompressed state. The compression of the support member 160 can generate a force on the inner bottom wall 146 of the inner shell 140 to help stabilize the inner bottom wall 146 and prevent any deformation of the inner bottom wall 146 so as to keep the inner bottom wall 146 substantially flat, thereby forming a central area of ​​the substantially flat inner bottom wall 146. The central area can have an area that is approximately 80% of the inner bottom wall 146, or can have a surface area greater than 150 square centimeters, or a surface area within the range of 150 square centimeters and 240 square centimeters. In some examples, the central area can exceed 240 square centimeters.

[0039] The support member 160 can be formed of an insulating material while being compressible. The support member 160 can be a foam, a lattice structure, a honeycomb structure, or other solid insulating structure. In some examples, the support member 160 can also include or be formed of a heat-resistant material. As discussed in more detail below, when the container 100 is subjected to a vacuum during construction, the container 100 (and the components of the container 100) may also be subjected to high temperatures (i.e., greater than 200°C), which may make some polymers or fiberglass insulation materials unsuitable for use in the support member 160. In this way, the support member can also be heat-resistant, such as heat-resistant ceramic fiber insulation materials, aerogel materials, ceramic fiber mats, or similar heat-resistant insulation materials. In addition, the support member 160 can be formed of ceramic materials, mineral wool materials, ceramic foams, aerogel-based materials (e.g., aerogel thick layers, aerogel blocks, or similar aerogel structures), organic materials, or other high-temperature fiber-reinforced materials. The support member 160 can also have a certain degree of porosity to help provide compressibility and desired insulation properties. For example, support member 160 may have a porosity greater than 60%, or greater than 80%, or even greater than 90%. Alternatively, support member 160 may be incompressible, such as a fiber mat or thick layer, or may be loose particles or microparticles located between outer bottom wall 112 and inner bottom wall 146.

[0040] The support member 160 may include an insulating material having a low thermal conductivity. The low thermal conductivity prevents a direct conduction path between the inner shell 110 and the outer shell 140. By preventing or reducing any direct conduction path between the shells 110, 140, the support member 160 together with the sealed vacuum cavity 120 may help reduce or eliminate condensation caused by a lack of conduction path between the walls 102, 112, 142, 146 of the shells 110, 140. For example, the support member 160 may have a thermal conductivity in the range of 0.013 W / (m*K) and 0.040 W / (m*K).

[0041] In some examples, additional support members 160 may be located in different areas of vacuum chamber 120 to help prevent or reduce deformation of one or more surfaces of insulated container 100 .

[0042] Fig.15A flow chart of a method of forming an insulated container 100 is shown. First, the outer shell 110 and the inner shell 140 can be formed (210) as two separate pieces. The outer shell 110 and the inner shell 140 can have a substantially constant wall thickness. The outer shell 110 and the inner shell 140 can be constructed using one or more metal sheet drawing and / or stamping processes, and in one example, can be constructed using stainless steel metal sheets. However, it will be readily apparent that the insulated container 100 can be constructed using one or more additional or alternative metals and / or alloys, one or more fiber reinforced materials, one or more polymers, or one or more ceramics or combinations thereof, etc. without departing from the scope of these disclosures. Therefore, one or both of the outer shell 110 and the inner shell 140 can have a wall thickness ranging from or between 0.2 mm to 4 mm or approximately 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, etc. (i.e., a metal sheet thickness can be utilized).

[0043] Next, the foot bracket 170 can be formed and connected to the outer shell 110 (220). The foot bracket 170 can include one or more hook members 172, and the one or more hook members 172 are attached to the bottom cavity wall 136 of the lower cavity 130. Similar to the outer shell 110 and the inner shell 140, the foot bracket 170 can be formed of stainless steel and can be formed by a metal sheet forming process, or alternatively, the foot bracket 170 can be formed via casting, forging, or molding. The foot bracket 170 can then be integrally joined to the outer shell 110 within the lower cavity 130.

[0044] In the next step, the support member 160 can be fixed between the inner shell 140 and the outer shell 110. First, the support member 160 can be placed on the inner surface of the outer bottom wall 146, which is adjacent to the inner cavity wall 132 of the outer shell 110 (230). Next, the inner shell 140 can be placed into the opening 117 of the outer shell 110 until the outer surface of the inner bottom wall 112 contacts the upper surface of the support member 160 (240). In the next step, the inner shell 140 can be pressed until the upper edge 148 of the inner shell 140 is aligned with the upper edge 118 of the outer shell 110. During this process, the support member 160 is compressed from an uncompressed state to a compressed state (250).

[0045] Once the support member 160 is compressed and the upper edges 118, 148 of the outer shell 110 and the inner shell 140 are aligned, the inner shell 140 can be integrally joined to the outer shell 110 along the upper edges 118, 148 of the outer shell 110 and the inner shell 140 by one or more joining processes (260). In one specific example, the inner shell 140 can be secured to the outer shell 110 by a welding operation that utilizes a robotic arm and camera system in conjunction with a fixed electrode, etc. to ensure that the inner shell 140 is connected along the entire upper edges 118, 148 of the outer shell 110 and the inner shell 140. These joining processes can integrally join the outer shell 110 and the inner shell 140, and can include one or more brazing or welding processes (including shielded metal arc, gas tungsten arc, gas metal arc, flux-cored arc, submerged arc, electroslag, ultrasonic, cold pressing, electromagnetic pulse, laser beam or friction welding processes, etc.). In another example, the outer shell 110 can be integrally joined to the inner shell 140 by one or more adhesives, by a metal sheet crimped joint, or by one or more fastening elements (e.g., one or more screws, rivets, pins, bolts, staples, etc.).

[0046] Once the shells 110, 140 are integrally joined and the support member 160 is secured, a certain amount of gas / air can be drawn from the cavity formed between the inner shell 140 and the outer shell 110 to form a sealed vacuum cavity 120 (270) between the two shells 110, 140. In order to achieve a vacuum between the walls of the container 100 (e.g., between the outer side wall 102 and the inner side wall 142, and between the outer bottom wall 112 and the inner bottom wall 146), at least a portion of the air between the two shells 110, 140 can be removed by positioning the container 100 within a larger chamber (not depicted) and removing at least a portion of the air from the cavity 120 between the shells 110, 140 by drawing a vacuum within the larger chamber (not depicted) (e.g., reducing the internal pressure of the larger chamber to a pressure lower than the internal pressure within the vacuum cavity 120). It will be appreciated that any technique and / or process can be used to reduce the pressure within the larger chamber (not depicted), including vacuum pumping, etc. As such, a portion of the air within the vacuum chamber 120 may escape through a plurality of openings 138 located in a bottom chamber wall 136 of the lower chamber 130 located on the outer bottom wall 112. The openings 138 may be circular shaped holes and may be evenly spaced around the lower annular chamber 130. Furthermore, the openings or holes 138 may be located in the bottom chamber wall 136 and may also be aligned with the holes 174 disposed in the foot member so that the vacuum may be applied after the foot member 190 is applied to the housing 110.

[0047] In certain embodiments, the pressure within the vacuum cavity 120 of the insulated container 100 can measure less than 15 microtorr. In other examples, the vacuum can measure less than 10 microtorr, less than 50 microtorr, less than 100 microtorr, less than 200 microtorr, less than 400 microtorr, less than 500 microtorr, less than 1000 microtorr, less than 10 millitorr, less than 100 millitorr, or less than 1 Torr, etc. The support member 160 can help prevent any deformation caused by the pressure outside the insulated container 100 (i.e., atmospheric pressure) and the pressure difference between the internal vacuum pressure within the vacuum cavity 120 and outside the container 100. The support member 160 can provide additional structural rigidity and support along the inner bottom wall 146 to prevent wall deformation and help keep the inner bottom wall 146 generally flat.

[0048] In order to seal the vacuum within the vacuum cavity 120, a resin, which may be in the shape of a pill, may be placed into the opening 138 during the vacuum forming process (280). In some examples, the vacuum forming chamber may be heated to a temperature at which the resin may become viscous. In one example, the viscosity of the resin may be such that the resin does not flow or drip into the container through the opening, and is permeable to air such that air may escape the interior volume of the vacuum cavity 120. In one embodiment, the vacuum forming process may heat the insulated container 100 to a temperature of approximately 550°C. In other embodiments, the insulated container may be heated to approximately 200°C, 250°C, 300°C, 350°C, 400°C, 450°C, 500°C, or 600°C, etc. during the vacuum forming process. After a period of heating, the insulated container 100 may be passively or actively cooled to room temperature. As such, once the resin cools and solidifies, the resin covers the opening 138 and seals the interior volume of the container 100 to form the vacuum chamber 120 between the outer shell 110 and the inner shell 140 .

[0049] Finally, the foot member 190 can be mounted to the foot bracket 170 (290). The foot member 190 can be secured to the hook member 172 of the foot bracket 170 by a press fit or a friction fit. The foot member 190 can be formed of an elastomeric material to help increase friction and help prevent the container 100 from sliding when placed on a flat surface.

[0050] The present disclosure is disclosed above and in the accompanying drawings with reference to various examples. However, the purpose served by the present disclosure is to provide examples of various features and concepts related to the present disclosure, rather than to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made to the examples described above without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A heat-insulating container, comprising: A metal housing including an outer side wall and an outer bottom wall; A metal inner shell, including an inner side wall and an inner bottom wall; The outer shell is connected to the inner shell to form a heat-insulating double-wall structure, wherein a sealed vacuum chamber is interposed between the outer shell and the inner shell; The thermally insulated container has a top opening at the top of the inner side wall, the top opening leading to a storage cavity formed by the inner side wall and the inner bottom wall; and a supporting member located between the outer bottom wall and the inner bottom wall; and Wherein, the storage chamber has a volume greater than 1800 cubic centimeters.

2. The thermally insulated container according to claim 1, wherein: The width of the top opening is within the range of 240 mm and 250 mm.

3. The thermally insulated container according to claim 1, wherein: The support member is secured between the outer bottom wall and the inner bottom wall by friction fit.

4. The thermally insulated container according to claim 1, wherein: The support member includes ceramic fiber insulation material.

5. The thermally insulated container according to claim 1, wherein: The support member has a thermal conductivity within a range of .013 W / (m*K) and .040 W / (m*K).

6. The thermally insulated container according to claim 1, wherein: The height of the support member is reduced by at least 30% from the height of the support member in an uncompressed state.

7. The thermally insulated container according to claim 1, wherein: A central region of the inner bottom wall is generally flat.

8. The thermally insulated container according to claim 1, wherein: The outer bottom wall has a lower annular cavity, and the lower annular cavity includes a continuous inner cavity wall and a continuous outer cavity wall.

9. The thermally insulated container according to claim 8, wherein: The inner cavity wall of the lower annular cavity is adjacent to the support member.

10. The thermally insulated container according to claim 1, wherein: The support member can have a porosity greater than 60%.

11. A method of forming an insulated container, comprising: forming a metal housing having a first opening at a top end of the housing, wherein the housing includes an outer side wall and an outer bottom wall; forming a metallic inner shell having a second opening at a top end of the inner shell, wherein the inner shell has an inner side wall and an inner bottom wall; placing a support member onto the outer bottom wall, the support member comprising a ceramic material; placing the inner shell into the first opening of the outer shell, with the inner bottom wall contacting the upper surface of the support member; positioning an upper edge of the inner shell in alignment with an upper edge of the outer shell to compress the support member, wherein the support member is compressed to reduce a height of the support member by at least 30% from a height of the support member in an uncompressed state; integrally joining the upper edge of the inner shell to the upper edge of the outer shell; and A certain amount of gas is extracted from the cavity between the outer shell and the inner shell to form a sealed vacuum cavity between the outer shell and the inner shell.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The housing includes a lower cavity, and the lower cavity is located on the outer bottom wall.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The lower cavity comprises an inner cavity wall, an outer cavity wall and a bottom cavity wall, wherein the inner cavity wall forms a continuous ring.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The bottom chamber wall includes three holes, and the certain amount of gas is extracted through the three holes.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The support member is positioned within the continuous ring formed by the lumen wall.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The outer shell and the inner shell are formed of stainless steel.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The support member has a thermal conductivity within a range of .013 W / (m*K) and .040 W / (m*K).

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The insulated container has a diameter at the top opening within the range of 230 mm and 260 mm, and the storage cavity has a height within the range of 180 mm and 220 mm.

19. A thermally insulated container, comprising: A metal shell, comprising an outer side wall and an outer bottom wall, wherein the outer bottom wall has a lower annular cavity, and the lower annular cavity comprises an inner cavity wall, an outer cavity wall and a bottom cavity wall; a metallic inner shell defining an inner facing surface, the inner shell comprising an inner side wall and an inner bottom wall, wherein the inner bottom wall comprises a flat central region; The outer shell is integrally joined to the inner shell to form a heat-insulating double-wall structure, wherein a sealed vacuum chamber is interposed between the outer shell and the inner shell; The insulated container has a top opening extending into a storage cavity, wherein the storage cavity has a volume within a range of 1800 cubic centimeters and 4000 cubic centimeters; and A support member is positioned between the outer bottom wall and the inner bottom wall, wherein the support member is positioned adjacent to the inner cavity wall, and wherein the support member is compressed by greater than 30% from an uncompressed state.

20. The insulated container of claim 19, further comprising a foot support, the foot support being connected to the lower annular cavity, wherein: The foot support includes a pair of engaging members, and Wherein, an elastomeric foot member is connected to the foot bracket.

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