INFLATABLE INSULATION PANEL

Abstract

An inflatable insulation panel comprises a bladder configured to contain air, a plurality of tethers disposed within an interior cavity of the bladder, and at least one reflective film disposed within the interior cavity of the bladder. The bladder includes a first wall, a second wall opposite the first wall, and peripheral walls extending between and connected to peripheral edges of the first and second walls. The first and second walls and the peripheral walls together define the interior cavity of the bladder. The plurality of tethers extend between and are connected to interior surfaces of the first and second walls. The plurality of tethers limit movement of the first and second walls away from each other when the bladder is inflated. The at least one reflective film is disposed between the interior surfaces of the first and second walls.

Description

INTRODUCTIONThe information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. The work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art over the present disclosure.The present disclosure relates to inflatable insulation panels and vehicles that include inflatable insulation panels that define a charging area.A delivery truck used for delivering articles to be maintained at cold temperatures typically includes insulating panels surrounding the loading area of trucks. The insulation panels in a delivery truck are typically made of fiber reinforced plastic (FRP). An example of such a delivery truck includes a frame, a passenger compartment attached to the frame near the front end thereof, and a storage compartment attached to the frame near the rear end thereof. The storage compartment includes a roof, a floor, and a pair of side walls disposed on opposite sides of the roof and the floor. The roof, floor and side walls enclose the cargo area of the truck. The roof, the floor, and the side walls each include an insulating plate made of FRP and a bracket fixing the insulating plate.WO 2018 170 337 A2 discloses an inflatable cooler having first and second air cells, which comprises a material layer separating the first and second air cells from each other, wherein the material layer is configured for selectively or partially sealing the first air cell from the second air cell.SUMMARYAn inflatable insulation panel according to the present invention includes a bladder configured to contain air, a plurality of tethers disposed within an interior cavity of the bladder, and at least one reflective film disposed within the interior cavity of the bladder. The bladder includes a first wall, a second wall opposite the first wall, and peripheral walls extending between and connected to peripheral edges of the first and second walls. The first and second walls and the peripheral walls together define the interior cavity of the bladder. The plurality of tethers extend between and are connected to inner surfaces of the first and second walls. The plurality of tethers limit movement of the first and second walls away from each other when the bladder is inflated. The at least one reflective film is disposed between the inner surfaces of the first and second walls.The at least one reflective film is attached to at least one of the inner surfaces of the first and second walls.In one aspect, the at least one reflective film includes a first reflective film attached to the inner surface of the first wall and a second reflective film attached to the inner surface of the second wall.In one aspect, the at least one reflective film is spaced apart from the inner surfaces of the first and second walls when the bladder is inflated.In one aspect, the at least one reflective film has an emissivity that is less than or equal to 0.5.In one aspect, the inflatable isolation panel further comprises a plurality of flexible layers disposed within the interior cavity of the bladder. The plurality of flexible layers extend between and are bonded to the inner surfaces of the first and second walls. The plurality of flexible layers divide the interior cavity of the bladder into a plurality of cells.In one aspect, the plurality of flexible layers are attached to the at least one reflective film.In one aspect, the plurality of flexible layers extend through the at least one reflective film and are attached to the inner surfaces of the first and second walls.A cooling pouch according to the present disclosure includes a bottom wall, a top wall, and side walls extending between and connected to peripheral edges of the top and bottom walls. At least one of the bottom wall, the top wall, and the side walls is at least partially formed by the inflatable insulation panel.Another inflatable isolation panel according to the present disclosure includes a bladder configured to contain air, a plurality of tethers disposed within an interior cavity of the bladder, and a plurality of flexible layers disposed within the interior cavity of the bladder. The bladder includes a first wall, a second wall opposite the first wall, and peripheral walls extending between and joined to peripheral edges of the first and second walls. The first and second walls and the peripheral walls together define the interior cavity of the bladder. The plurality of tethers extend between and are connected to inner surfaces of the first and second walls. The plurality of tethers limit movement of the first and second walls away from each other when the bladder is inflated. The plurality of flexible layers also extend between and are bonded to the inner surfaces of the first and second walls. The plurality of flexible layers divide the interior cavity of the bladder into a plurality of cells.In one aspect, the plurality of flexible layers are configured to prevent airflow between the plurality of cells.In one aspect, the plurality of flexible layers extend between and are bonded to inner surfaces of two of the circumferential walls that are opposed to each other.In one aspect, the first and second walls are spaced apart from each other by a distance greater than or equal to 0.02 meters when the bladder is inflated.A vehicle according to the present disclosure includes a roof, a floor, a first vertical wall, and a second vertical wall that together define a cargo area of the vehicle. The roof includes a first bladder and first multiple tethers disposed within an interior cavity of the first bladder. The first bladder includes a top wall, a bottom wall opposite the top wall, and side walls extending between and connected to peripheral edges of the top and bottom walls. The upper and lower walls and the side walls together define the interior cavity of the first bladder. The first plurality of tethers extend between and are connected to inner surfaces of the upper and lower walls. The floor includes a second bladder and a second plurality of tethers disposed within an interior cavity of the second bladder. The second bladder includes a top wall, a bottom wall opposite the top wall, and side walls extending between and connected to peripheral edges of the top and bottom walls of the second bladder. The upper and lower walls of the second bladder and the side walls of the second bladder together define the interior cavity of the second bladder. The second plurality of tethers extend between and are connected to inner surfaces of the upper and lower walls of the second bladder. The first vertical wall includes a third bladder and third multiple tethers disposed within an interior cavity of the third bladder. The third bladder includes a top wall, a bottom wall opposite the top wall, and side walls extending between and joined to peripheral edges of the top and bottom walls of the third bladder. The upper and lower walls of the third bladder and the side walls of the third bladder together define the interior cavity of the third bladder. The third plurality of tethers extend between and are connected to inner surfaces of the sidewalls of the third bladder. The second vertical wall includes a fourth bladder and fourth plurality of tethers disposed within an interior cavity of the fourth bladders. The fourth bladder includes a top wall, a bottom wall opposite the top wall, and side walls extending between and connected to peripheral edges of the top and bottom walls of the fourth bladder. The upper and lower walls of the fourth bladder and the side walls of the fourth bladder together define the interior cavity of the fourth bladder. The fourth plurality of tethers extend between and are connected to inner surfaces of the sidewalls of the fourth bladder.In one aspect, the roof is disposed over the floor, the first vertical wall abuts a first side of the roof and a first side of the floor, and the second vertical wall abuts a second side of the roof opposite the first side of the roof and a second side of the floor opposite the first side of the floor.In one aspect, the first, second, third, and fourth bladders are configured to be deflated to increase a volume of the cargo area.In one aspect, the roof further comprises a first reflective film disposed within the interior cavity of the first bladder and between the inner surfaces of the upper and lower walls of the first bladder, the floor further comprising a second reflective film disposed within the interior cavity of the second bladder and between the inner surfaces of the upper and lower walls of the second bladder, the first vertical wall further comprising a third reflective film disposed within the interior cavity of the third bladder and between the inner surfaces of the side walls of the third bladder, and the second vertical wall further comprises a fourth reflective film disposed within the interior cavity of the fourth bladder and between the inner surfaces of the side walls of the fourth bladder.In one aspect, the first reflective film is configured to prevent radiation between the inner surfaces of the upper and lower walls of the first bladder, the second reflective film is configured to prevent radiation between the inner surfaces of the upper and lower walls of the second bladder, the third reflective film is configured to prevent radiation between the inner surfaces of the upper and lower walls of the third bladder, and the fourth reflective film is configured to prevent radiation between the inner surfaces of the upper and lower walls of the fourth bladder.In one aspect, the roof further comprises first multiple flexible layers disposed within the interior cavity of the first bladder, the floor further comprises second multiple flexible layers disposed within the interior cavity of the second bladder, the first vertical wall further comprises third multiple flexible layers disposed within the interior cavity of the third bladder, and the second vertical wall further comprises fourth multiple flexible layers disposed within the interior cavity of the fourth bladder. The first plurality of flexible layers extend between and are bonded to the inner surfaces of the upper and lower walls. The first plurality of flexible layers divide the interior cavity of the first bladder into a plurality of cells. The second plurality of flexible layers extend between and are bonded to the inner surfaces of the upper and lower walls. The second plurality of flexible layers divide the internal cavity of the second bladder into a plurality of cells. The third plurality of flexible layers extend between and are bonded to the inner surfaces of the sidewalls of the third bladder. The third plurality of flexible layers divide the interior cavity of the third bladder into a plurality of cells. The fourth plurality of flexible layers extend between and are bonded to the inner surfaces of the sidewalls of the fourth bladder. The fourth plurality of flexible layers divide the internal cavity of the fourth bladder into a plurality of cells.In one aspect, the first plurality of flexible layers are configured to prevent airflow between the plurality of cells in the first bladder, the second plurality of flexible layers are configured to prevent airflow between the plurality of cells in the second bladder, the third plurality of flexible layers are configured to prevent airflow between the plurality of cells in the third bladder, and the fourth plurality of flexible layers are configured to prevent airflow between the plurality of cells in the fourth bladder.Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims and drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first example of a vehicle including inflatable isolation panels according to the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a second example of a vehicle including inflatable isolation panels according to the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a third example of a vehicle including inflatable isolation panels according to the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an example of an inflatable inflation panel according to the present disclosure without circumferential walls around an interior cavity of the panel and without flexible layers in the interior cavity; FIGS. 5 and 6 are graphs illustrating heat loss per unit area of inflatable insulating panels having differently sized air gaps between outer walls of the panels, in accordance with the present disclosure; FIGS. 7 to 9 are graphs illustrating heat loss per unit area of inflatable insulating panels according to the present disclosure and heat loss per unit area of insulating panels made of fiber-reinforced plastic; FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the charging area of any of the vehicles shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 ; FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the loading area of FIG. 10 illustrating changes in the volume of the loading area when the panels are inflated or deflated; and FIGS. 12 and 13 are perspective views of a cooling bag including inflatable insulating panels, in accordance with the present disclosure.In the drawings, reference numerals may be reused to identify similar and / or identical items.DETAILED DESCRIPTIONAs discussed above, insulation panels used in vans are typically made of FRP. In addition, the insulating plates are relatively thick to ensure that the insulating plates provide the desired amount of insulation. Because the insulating panels typically surround the loading area of the delivery truck, the increase in thickness of the insulating panels typically reduces the volume of the loading area. In addition, insulation panels made of FRP are relatively heavy, which may make them impractical for use in an electric delivery truck with a limited payload.An insulation panel according to the present disclosure includes a bladder configured to be inflated with air and internal tethers limiting the expansion of the bladder. The tethers also increase the rigidity of the insulating plate and ensure that the insulating plate forms a desired shape when inflated, such as a rectangular cuboid. In one example, the insulating plate further includes fabric layers that divide the internal cavity of the bladder into multiple cells and prevent air flow between the cells to inhibit convection in the internal cavity. In another example, the insulating plate includes a reflective film disposed in the internal cavity of the bladder between opposing walls of the bladder to inhibit radiation between the walls.An insulating plate according to the present disclosure enables less heat loss per unit area relative to an insulating plate made of FRP. Thus, an insulating plate according to the present disclosure may be thinner than an insulating plate made of FRP while providing the same insulation performance as the insulating plate made of FRP. As a result, a van including insulating panels according to the present disclosure, instead of insulating panels made of FRP, may have a larger loading area than other vans. In addition, an insulating plate according to the present disclosure weighs much less than an insulating plate made of FRP even when both types of plates have the same thickness. Thus, an insulation panel according to the present disclosure is more suitable for electric delivery trucks.Although the insulating panels according to the present disclosure are primarily explained in the context of a vehicle, the insulating panels may be used in other applications. For example, the present disclosure also illustrates the use of the insulation panels in a soft cooling pocket.Referring now to FIG. 1, a vehicle 10 includes a body structure 12, a roof 14, a floor 16, a first vertical wall 18, and a second vertical wall 20. The roof 14, a floor 16, the first vertical wall 18, and the second vertical wall 20 together define a cargo area 22 of the vehicle 10. The roof 14, the floor 16, the first vertical wall 18 and the second vertical wall 20 are each formed by an inflatable insulating panel 24.Each panel 24 has a rectangular cuboid shape when inflated. Each panel 24 includes a bladder 26 having an interior cavity 28, a plurality of tethers 30 disposed within the interior cavity 28, a plurality of flexible layers 32 disposed within the interior cavity 28, and a reflective film 34 disposed within the interior cavity 28. Each bladder 26 may be inflated and deflated. In one example, each bladder 26 includes a valve (not shown) that regulates airflow into and out of the bladder 26. Each bladder 26 may be made of a thin layer of material, such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), or silicone coated material, such as flexible nylon, polyester, Kevlar, etc. The thickness of each bladder 26 may vary from 0.1 millimeters (mm) to 10 mm depending on the pressure range of the bladder 26.Each bladder 26 includes a first wall 36, a second wall 38 opposite the first wall 36, and peripheral walls 40 extending between and joined to peripheral edges 42 of the first and second walls 36 and 38. The first and second walls 36 and 38 and the peripheral walls 40 together define and completely enclose the internal cavity 28 of the bladder 26. For the roof 14 and the floor 16, the first wall 36 may be referred to as an upper wall, the second wall 38 may be referred to as a lower wall, and the perimeter walls 40 may be referred to as side walls. For the first and second vertical walls 18 and 20, the first and second walls 36 and 38 may be referred to as side walls, the upper peripheral wall 40 may be referred to as an upper wall, and the lower peripheral wall 40 may be referred to as a lower wall.The tethers 30 extend between and are connected to the inner surfaces 44 of the first and second walls 36 and 38. Additionally, the tethers 30 increase the amount of compressive force that can resist the bladder 26 in a direction extending along the lengths of the tethers 30 before the bladder 26 can deform in response to the compressive force.The tethers 30 may be connected to the first and second walls 36 and 38 using three-dimensional (3D) knitting, weft knitting, hand sewing, an embroidering machine, a apparel identification installer, and / or adhesive. The tethers 30 may include monofilament yarns such as wires and / or multifilament yarns such as yarn. Additionally or alternatively, the tethers 30 may include cables and / or tapes (or tapes). The tethers 30 may have cross-sectional shapes that are circular, star-shaped, and / or rectangular.The flexible layers 32 also extend between and are joined to the inner surfaces 44 of the first and second walls 36 and 38. In addition, the flexible layers 32 extend between and are joined to the inner surfaces 44 of the peripheral walls 40. The flexible layers 32 divide the interior cavity 28 of each bladder 26 into a plurality of cells 48. The flexible layers 32 prevent air flow between the cells 48 of each bladder 26 and thereby inhibit convection within the interior cavity 28 thereof.The flexible layers 32 may be bonded to the first and second walls 36 and 38 and the perimeter walls 40 using three-dimensional (3D) knitting, weft knitting, hand sewing, embroidering machine, apparel identification installer, and / or adhesive. The connections between the flexible layers 32 and the walls 36, 38, 40 may be airtight (e.g., sealed). The flexible layers 32 may be made of a flexible material, such as fabric and / or plastic. The flexible material may be air impermeable.The reflective film 34 is disposed between the inner surfaces 44 of the first and second walls 36 and 38 and prevents radiation between the inner surfaces 44. In the example shown, the reflective film 34 is parallel to the first and second walls 36 and 38. In the roof 14 and the first vertical wall 18, the reflective film 34 is attached to the inner surface 44 of the first wall 36. In the bottom 16 and the second vertical wall 20, the reflective film 34 is attached to the inner surface 44 of the first wall 36. The reflective film 34 may be secured to the inner surfaces 44 of the first and second walls 36 and 38 using adhesive. The reflective film 34 may be made of aluminum foil and / or may have an emissivity less than or equal to 0.05.The flexible layers 32 may extend through the reflective film 34 and may be directly connected to the first and second walls 36 and 38. Additionally or alternatively, the flexible layers 32 may be directly connected to the reflective film 34 and thereby indirectly connected to the first or second wall 36 or 38 through the reflective film 34. In the roof 14, the flexible layers 32 are directly connected to the second wall 38 and are connected to the first wall 36 through the reflective film 34. In the floor 16, the flexible layers 32 are directly connected to the first wall 36 and connected to the second wall 38 by the reflective film 34. In the first and second vertical walls 18 and 20, the flexible layers 32 extend through the reflective film 34 and are directly connected to the first and second walls 36 and 38.Referring now to FIG. 2, a vehicle 50 is shown that is similar or identical to the vehicle 10 except for the location of the reflective film 34 and the connections between the flexible layers 32 and the first and second walls 36 and 38. In FIG. 2, the reflective film 34 is spaced from the inner surfaces 44 of the first and second walls 36 and 38 when the bladder 26 is inflated. In the example shown, the reflective film 34 is disposed approximately midway between the inner surfaces 44 of the first and second walls 36 and 38 when the bladder 26 is inflated. In addition, in the roof 14, the floor 16, the first vertical wall 18, and the second vertical wall 20, the tethers 30 and the flexible layers 32 extend through the reflective film 34 and are directly connected to the first and second walls 36 and 38.Referring now to FIG. 3, a vehicle 52 is shown that is similar or identical to the vehicle 10 except for the number of layers of the reflective film 34 and the connections between the flexible layers 32 and the first and second walls 36 and 38. In FIG. 3, each panel 24 includes two layers of the reflective film 34. each reflective film 34 is attached to the inner surface 44 of the first or second wall 36 or 38. In addition, the tethers 30 and the flexible layers 32 are directly connected to the reflective film 34 and are thereby indirectly connected to the first and second walls 36 and 38 through the reflective film 34.FIG. 4 shows an example of any of the panels 24 in the vehicle 52, with its peripheral walls 40 omitted, to illustrate components disposed within the cavity 28 of the bladder 26, except for the flexible layers 32, which are also omitted. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the panel 24 includes one or more additional layers 53 attached to outer surfaces 54 of the first and second walls 34 and 36. The layers 53 may be made of the same material as the bladder 26 or a different material. The first and second walls 36 and 38 are separated by an air gap or space 55.Referring now to FIG. 5, a graph 56 illustrates a plurality of curves 58 plotted with respect to an x-axis 60 representing the air gap thickness (i.e., distance 55) in m and a y-axis 62 representing heat loss per unit area in watts per square meter (W / m 2). The curves 58 indicate the heat loss per unit area of examples of the panel 24 when the difference between the temperatures of the first and second walls 36 and 38 is equal to 30 degrees Celsius (° C.). The reflective film 34 has a different emissivity value in each example. The curves 58 include a first curve 64 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.9, a second curve 66 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.8, a third curve 68 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.7, a fourth curve 70 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.6, a fifth curve 72 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.5, a sixth curve 74 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.4, a seventh curve 76 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.3, an eighth curve 78 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.2, a ninth curve 80 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.1, and a tenth curve 82 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.05. As indicated by the tenth curve 82, the plate 24 has a heat loss per unit area of 15.68 W / m 2 when the difference between the temperatures of the first and second walls 36 and 38 is 30° C., the reflective film 34 has an emissivity of 0.05, and the air gap thickness is 0.1 m. Thus, when the surface area of each of the first and second walls 36 and 38 is 25 square meters (m 2) the plate 24 has a heat loss of 393 watts (W).Referring now to FIG. 6, a graph 86 illustrates a plurality of curves 88 plotted with respect to an x-axis 90 representing air gap thickness in m and a y-axis 92 representing heat loss per unit area in W / m 2. The curves 88 indicate the heat loss per unit area of examples of the panel 24 when the difference between the temperatures of the first and second walls 36 and 38 is 50° C. The reflective film 34 has a different emissivity value in each example. The curves 88 include a first curve 94 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.9, a second curve 96 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.8, a third curve 98 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.7, a fourth curve 100 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.6, a fifth curve 102 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.5, a sixth curve 104 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.4, a seventh curve 106 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.3, an eighth curve 108 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.2, a ninth curve 110 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.1, and a tenth curve 112 corresponding to an emissivity of 0.05. As indicated by the tenth curve 112, the plate 24 has a heat loss per unit area of 26.92 W / m 2 when the difference between the temperatures of the first and second walls 36 and 38 is 50° C., the reflective film 34 has an emissivity of 0.05 and the air gap thickness is 0.1 m. Thus, when the surface area of each of the first and second walls 36 and 38 is 25 m 2 the plate 24 has a heat loss of 673 W.As shown by graphs 56, 86 of FIGS. 5 and 6, the amount of heat loss per unit area of the plate 24 decreases as the emissivity of the reflective film 34 decreases. In addition, the amount of heat loss per unit area of the plate 24 decreases as the air gap thickness increases. Further, the amount by which heat loss per unit of plate 24 decreases decreases at emissivity values less than 0.05 and at air gap thicknesses greater than 0.1 meters.Referring now to FIG. 7, a graph 116 illustrates curves 88 and eleventh curve 118 plotted with respect to an x-axis 120 representing plate thickness in m and a y-axis 122 representing heat loss per unit area in W / m 2. The thickness of each plate 24 is the distance 55. The eleventh curve 118 indicates the heat loss per unit area of an insulating plate made of FRP. An arrow 124 indicates increasing emissivity of the reflective film 34 in the panels 24 represented by the curves 88.Referring now to FIG. 8, a graph 126 illustrates a first curve 128 and a second curve 130 plotted with respect to an x-axis 132 representing plate thickness in m and a y-axis 134 representing heat loss per unit area in W / m 2. The first curve 128 corresponds to the plate 24 with a plate thickness of 100 mm. Thus, the first curve 128 corresponds to a single point on each of the curves 88 of FIG. 7 aligned with 0.1 on the x-axis 120. The second curve 130 corresponds to the FRP plate having a plate thickness of 100 mm. Thus, the second curve 130 corresponds to a single point on the eleventh curve 118 of FIG. 7 aligned with 0.1 on the x-axis 120.Referring now to FIG. 9, a graph 136 illustrates a first curve 138 and a second curve 140 plotted with respect to an x-axis 142 representing plate thickness in m and a y-axis 144 representing heat loss per unit area in W / m 2. The first curve 138 corresponds to the plate 24 with a plate thickness of 200 mm. Thus, the first curve 138 corresponds to a single point on each of the curves 88 of FIG. 7 aligned with 0.2 on the x-axis 120. The second curve 140 corresponds to the FRP plate having a plate thickness of 200 mm. Thus, the second curve 140 corresponds to a single point on the eleventh curve 118 of FIG. 7 aligned with 0.2 on the x-axis 120.As demonstrated by plots 116, 126, and 136, for nearly all of the emissivity values and represented plate thickness, the heat loss per unit area of plate 24 is less than the heat loss per unit area of the FRP plate. The only exceptions to this relative disk performance are when the reflective film 34 of the disk 24 has an emissivity greater than 0.5 and the disk 24 and the FRP disk each have a thickness greater than 0.1 m. Thus, the reflective film 34 of each plate 24 may have an emissivity less than or equal to 0.5, and each plate 24 may have a thickness less than or equal to 0.1 m. Plots 116, 126, and 136 also show that plate 24 may have a thickness less than 0.1 m and still provide the same insulation as or better insulation than the FRP plate having a thickness of 0.1 m.Referring now to FIG. 10, the charging area 22 of the vehicle 10 has a length 146, a width 148, and a height 150. In one example, the length 146 is 3.4 m, the width 148 is 2 m, and the height 150 is 2 m. Thus, in this example, the volume of the cargo area 22 corresponds to 11.56 cubic meters (m 3). In addition, the foregoing example corresponds to a plate thickness of 100 mm.Referring now to FIG. 11, various examples of the charging area 22 are shown. A first example 152 of the loading area 22 is the example described above, in which the plate thickness is 100 mm and the volume of the loading area is 11.56 m 3. A second example 154 of the cargo area 22 corresponds to an inflated panel thickness (i.e., distance 55) of 50 mm. In the second example 154, the length 146 of the cargo area 22 is 3.5 m, the width 148 of the cargo area 22 is 1.8 m, and the height 150 of the cargo area 22 is 2.1 m. Thus, the volume of the cargo area 22 is 13.23 m 3, which equals 14.4% additional cargo space relative to the first example 152. Notably, even as shown in FIG. 7, when the thickness of the plate 24 is 50 mm and the thickness of the FRP plate is 100 mm, the plate 24 allows less heat loss per unit area relative to the FRP plate regardless of the emissivity of the reflective film 134. Thus, the panel 24 may provide better insulation even with a reduced panel thickness that provides additional cargo space.A third example 156 of the loading area 22 corresponds to a emptied plate thickness of 10 mm. In the third example 156, the length 146 of the cargo area 22 is 3.58 m, the width 148 of the cargo area 22 is 1.88 m, and the height 150 of the cargo area 22 is 2.18 m. Thus, the volume of the cargo area 22 is 14.67 m 3, which equals 27.0% additional cargo space relative to the first example 152. In other words, emptying the plate 24 may increase the volume of the loading area 22 by 27.0%.Referring now to FIGS. 12 and 13, a soft cooling pocket 160 includes a lid 162, a bottom wall 164, and side walls 166. The lids 162, the bottom wall 164, and the side walls 166 together define an internal cavity 168 of the cooling pocket 160. The lid 162, the bottom wall 164, and the side walls 166 each include an insulating plate according to the present disclosure, such as any of the plates 24 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, The insulating plates may be inflated using a pump (not shown) included in the cooling pocket 160. The insulating panels may be inflated to increase the insulation and stiffness of the cooling pocket 160 and to provide an air cushion that protects articles within the cooling pocket 160. The insulating panels may be evacuated to increase the volume of the internal cavity 168 and decrease the stiffness of the cooling pocket 160.The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. The broad teachings of the disclosure may be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes particular examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited as other modifications will become apparent after a study of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims. It should be understood that one or more steps within a method may be performed in different orders (or concurrently) without altering the principles of the present disclosure. Although each of the above-described embodiments is described as having certain features, each or more of these described features may be implemented in and / or combined with features of any of the other embodiments with respect to an embodiment of the disclosure, even if this combination is not expressly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and permutations of one or more embodiments with one another remain within the scope of this disclosure.When an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "engaged to," "connected to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on the other element or layer, engaged to, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element or layer is referred to as being "directly on," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between the elements should be interpreted in the same manner (e.g., "between" as opposed to "directly between," "bpanachbar" as opposed to "directly adjacent," etc.).Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be used only to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or portion from another region, layer, or portion. Terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms do not imply a sequence or order when used herein unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or portion discussed below could be referred to as a second element, component, region, layer, or portion without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.Spatially relative terms such as "inner," "outer," "below," "below," "lower," "over," "upper," and the like may be used herein for ease of description to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be provided to encompass other orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "below" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. The exemplary term "below" can thus encompass both an alignment "above" and "below". The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) with the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

Claims

An inflatable insulation panel (24) comprising: a bladder (26) configured to contain air, the bladder (26) comprising a first wall (36), a second wall (38) opposite the first wall (36), and peripheral walls (40) extending between and connected to peripheral edges (42) of the first (36) and second (38) walls, the first (36) and second (38) walls and the peripheral walls (40) together defining an interior cavity (28) of the bladder (26); a plurality of tethers (30) disposed within the interior cavity (28) of the bladder (26), the plurality of tethers (30) extending between and being connected to interior surfaces (44) of the first (36) and second (38) walls, the plurality of tethers (30) limiting movement of the first (36) and second (38) walls away from each other when the bladder (26) is inflated; at least one reflective film (34) disposed within the interior cavity (28) of the bladder (26) and between the interior surfaces (44) of the first (36) and second (38) walls, the at least one reflective film (34) being attached to at least one of the interior surfaces (44) of the first (36) and second (38) walls.The inflatable insulation panel (24) of claim 1, wherein the at least one reflective film (34) comprises a first reflective film (34) secured to the inner surface (44) of the first wall (36) and a second reflective film (34) secured to the inner surface (44) of the second wall (38).The inflatable insulation panel (24) of claim 1, wherein the at least one reflective film (34) is spaced from the inner surfaces (44) of the first (36) and second (38) walls when the bladder (26) is inflated.The inflatable insulation panel (24) of claim 1, wherein the at least one reflective film (34) has an emissivity that is less than or equal to 0.5.The inflatable insulation panel (24) of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of flexible layers (32) disposed within the interior cavity (28) of the bladder (26), the plurality of flexible layers (32) extending between and being connected to the interior surfaces (44) of the first (36) and second (38) walls, the plurality of flexible layers (32) dividing the interior cavity (28) of the bladder (26) into a plurality of cells (48).The inflatable insulation panel (24) of claim 5, wherein the plurality of flexible layers (32) are attached to the at least one reflective film (34).The inflatable insulation panel (24) of claim 5, wherein the plurality of flexible layers (32) extend through the at least one reflective film (34) and are secured to the inner surfaces (44) of the first (36) and second (38) walls.A cooling pouch (160) comprising: a bottom wall (164); a top wall; and side walls (166) extending between and connected to peripheral edges (42) of the top and bottom walls (164), wherein at least one of the bottom wall (164), the top wall, and the side walls (166) is at least partially formed by the inflatable insulation panel (24) of claim 5; wherein the plurality of flexible layers (32) are configured to prevent airflow between the plurality of cells (48).

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