A THERMALLY INSULATED SHIPPING CONTAINER

• US 20150298886A1
• Filed: 11/25/2013
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Laminar Medica Limited (Sonoco Thermosafe)
• Original Assignee: Laminar Medica Limited (Sonoco Thermosafe)
• Inventors: Knight, Philip, Houlding, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,000,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/06 with bodies formed by uniting or interconnecting two or more components
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00875 collapsible side walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/18 providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient with thermal insulation B65D81/38; ice-boxes with cooling means F25D
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3823 formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/063 formed by an assembly of panels
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0832 the liquid is disposed in an accumulator pack locked in a closable wall forming part of the container
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0843 on the side of the product
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2303/0844 above the product
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/061 Collapsible walls
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/06 Movable containers

Abstract

A thermally insulated shipping container comprises an inner structure including an inner base, a front inner wall, a rear inner wall opposed to the front inner wall, a pair of opposed side inner walls each extending between the front and rear inner walls and an inner lid; an outer structure including an outer base, a front outer wall, a rear outer wall opposed to the front inner wall, two side outer walls each extending between the front and rear outer walls and an outer lid; and a cavity extending at least between the inner and outer walls, the cavity being arranged to receive a plurality of cool packs; wherein the container, when empty, is arranged to be transported disassembled in a flat packed state prior to being assembled for use.

Claims

1. A thermally insulated shipping container comprising:

an inner structure including an inner base, a front inner wall, a rear inner wall opposed to the front inner wall, a pair of opposed side inner walls each extending between the front and rear inner walls and an inner lid;

an outer structure including an outer base, a front outer wall, a rear outer wall opposed to the front inner wall, two side outer walls each extending between the front and rear outer walls and an outer lid; and

a cavity extending at least between the inner and outer walls, the cavity being arranged to receive a plurality of cool packs;

wherein the container, when empty, is arranged to be transported disassembled in a flat packed state prior to being assembled for use, characterised in that a portion of each of the two side outer walls is hinged at one end to a respective end of one of the front or rear outer walls.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said portion of the side outer wall is hinged to a respective end of the front outer wall and can be folded flat against the front outer wall or each said portion of the side outer wall is hinged to a respective end of the rear outer wall and can be folded flat against the rear outer wall.

3. A container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the said side outer wall portions are first portions of respective side outer walls and the side outer walls each comprise a respective second portion arranged to abut against the respective first portion, the second portions being joined substantially at right angles to respective ends of the rear outer wall to form a U-shaped outer wall component.

5. A container as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the inner lid, rear inner wall, front inner wall and side inner walls are arranged so that they can be stacked flat upon the inner base, wherein the lengths of two portions of the outer side walls are sufficient that when the inner base is on the outer base and the remaining components of the inner structure are stacked flat upon the inner base, the U-shaped outer wall component may be placed inverted on the outer base such that it bridges over the components of the inner structure, whereby the front outer wall with first portions of the side outer wall folded flat against it, may be placed on and supported by the U-shaped outer wall component.

6. A container as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the materials and dimensions of the container are selected such that in a flat packed state the U-shaped outer wall component is designed to be of sufficient strength to permit at least two identical flat packed containers to be supported by it when it is inverted on the outer base.

7. A container as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein all the components of the container are attached and arranged such that the container may be transported in a flat packed state without the need to package the container in a sleeve.

8. A container as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the height of the outer walls is between 80 to 100 percent of the length of one side of the container, such that the U-shaped outer wall section may be positioned over 80 to 100 percent of the outer base.

9. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the inner base and outer base are formed from a common component.

10. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the outer base is mounted on a pallet.

11. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the inner structure is arranged such that the inner walls may be positioned around the edge of the inner base and the inner lid placed on top of the inner walls to define a payload space within the inner structure, the components of the inner structure being arranged to engage with each other such that the inner structure is self-supporting.

12. A container as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least two of the front inner wall, rear inner wall and two inner side walls are hinged to the inner base so that they may be folded from a flat state, where they lie substantially flat over the inner base to a vertical position.

13. A container as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least three of the front inner wall, rear inner wall and two inner side walls are hinged to the inner base so that they may be folded from a flat state where they lie substantially flat over the inner base to a vertical position.

14. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein a portion of each of the two side inner walls is hinged at one end to a respective end of the front or rear inner walls.

15. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a plurality of retainers are secured to the outer surfaces of the inner walls, which retainers are arranged to retain a plurality of cool packs in place prior to and after the outer walls being positioned in place.

16. A container as claimed in claim 15, wherein the retainers are extruded channels.

17. A container as claimed in claim 15 or 16, wherein the retainers are formed from two co-extruded materials, with the edges of the retainers formed of a softer material than the central regions of the retainers.

18. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the inner structure and outer structure are made of rigid thermally insulating materials and the material of the inner structure has a greater density than the material of the outer structure.

19. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the container is capable of being assembled and taken apart and put back into a flat pack state ready to be reused without the requirement to replace any components of the container.

20. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the outer base includes an LD7 compatible pallet.

21. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the container is a unit load device as defined by the International Air Transport Association.

22. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, having an oblong footprint, wherein the front and rear inner and outer walls lie along the long sides of the oblong.

23. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the length of two opposed side wall portions each have a length less than or equal to one half of the length of one side of the container.

4. A thermally insulated shipping container comprising:

an inner structure including an inner base, a front inner wall, a rear inner wall opposed to the front inner wall, a pair of opposed side inner walls each extending between the front and rear inner walls and an inner lid;

an outer structure including an outer base, a front outer wall, a rear outer wall opposed to the front inner wall, two side outer walls each extending between the front and rear outer walls and an outer lid; and

a cavity between the inner and outer structure arranged to receive a plurality of cool packs;

wherein the container, when empty, is arranged to be transported disassembled in a flat packed state prior to being assembled for use, characterised in that respective portions of both of the two side outer walls are joined substantially at right angles to respective ends of the front outer wall, or in that respective portions of both of the two side outer walls are joined substantially at right angles to the rear outer wall, to form a U-shaped outer wall component.

24. A shipping container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, or as illustrated in, one or more of the accompanying drawings.