Collapsible insulated food delivery bag

• US 7,791,003 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covertex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Covertex Corporation
• Inventors: Ozechowsky, Mervin S., Lockhart, Edward A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuqua; Shawntina
• Application Number:
  US11/796,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20080264925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 219/986, 219/387, 219/533, 383/94, 624/577, 623/71
• US Class Current: 219/387
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 7/0063 comprising an integrated expansion device

Abstract

An insulated bag has generally flat top and bottom walls connected by foldable back and opposite side walls which cooperate to define a chamber having a front opening for receiving a food product. Flexible closure flaps extend from the bottom wall and opposite side walls and have releasable fasteners for closing the front opening. Each wall has an outer fabric covering and a porous inner liner and also inner and outer layers of flexible thermal insulation material. A vapor barrier film separates the inner and outer layers of insulation material in each wall and provides for moisture absorption by the inner layers. The top and bottom walls each have a compartment with an edge opening closed by a releasable fastener, and a vacuum insulation panel is confined within each compartment. The top and bottom walls move between a collapsed storage position and an expanded position to receive the product.

Claims

1. An insulated bag adapted for delivering a food product such as a hot pizza enclosed within a box, said bag comprising

a generally flat top wall and a generally flat bottom wall connected together by a foldable back wall and opposing foldable side walls,

said top, bottom, side and back walls defining a chamber having a front opening,

a flexible insulated front closure flap extending from said bottom wall for closing said front opening and connectable to said top wall by a releasable fastener,

said top, bottom, side and back walls having layers of flexible thermal insulation material,

said top wall and said bottom wall each having a compartment with an edge portion defining an opening closed by a releasable fastener,

a vacuum insulation panel within each of said compartments and including an evacuated core material within a sealed enclosure of film material,

said foldable side and back walls providing for movement of said top and bottom walls and the corresponding said vacuum insulation panels between a collapsed position for storage and an expanded position for receiving the product within said chamber through said front opening, and

said top and bottom walls each including an inner liner of air permeable material, one of said layers of flexible insulation material adjacent each said inner liner and adapted to absorb moisture passing from the product through said inner liner, and a film of vapor barrier material adjacent each one of said layers of flexible insulation material.

2. An insulated bag as defined in claim 1 and including flexible insulated side closure flaps projecting from said side walls on opposite sides of said front opening, and said insulated side closure flaps cooperating with said insulated front closure flap extending from said bottom wall for closing said chamber completely around said front opening.

3. An insulated bag as defined in claim 1 wherein said film of vapor barrier material comprises a film of metal foil.

4. An insulated bag as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said foldable side and back walls includes an inner liner of air permeable material, one of said layers of flexible insulation material adjacent each said inner liner of said side and back walls and adapted to absorb moisture from the product through said inner liner, and a film of vapor barrier material adjacent each one of said layers of flexible insulation material within said side and back walls.

5. An insulated bag as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said walls of said bag include an outer fabric covering and an inner liner of air permeable material, and said fabric covering, said liner and said layer of flexible insulation material within said bottom wall extend continuously into said front closure flap.

6. An insulated bag as defined in claim 5 wherein said fabric covering, said liner and said layer of flexible insulation material within said top wall extend continuously into said foldable side and back walls.

7. An insulated bag as defined in claim 6 wherein said foldable back wall and said foldable side walls have center portions with stitches extending through the corresponding said fabric coverings, said liners and said layers of insulation material to form flexible hinge connections within said center portions.

8. An insulated bag as defined in claim 6 wherein said foldable back wall and said foldable side walls and said top wall have adjacent edge portions with stitches extending through the corresponding said fabric coverings, said liners and said layers of insulation material to form flexible hinge connections connecting said adjacent edge portions of said walls.

9. An insulated bag adapted for delivering a food product such as a hot pizza enclosed within a box, said bag comprising

a generally flat top wall and a generally flat bottom wall connected together by a foldable back wall and opposing foldable side walls,

said top, bottom, side and back walls defining a chamber having a front opening,

a flexible insulated front closure flap extending from said bottom wall and flexible side closure flaps projecting from said side walls for closing said front opening,

said top, bottom, side and back walls having layers of flexible thermal insulation material,

said top and bottom walls each including an inner liner of air permeable material,

one of said layers of flexible insulation material adjacent each said inner liner and adapted to absorb moisture passing from the product through said inner liner,

a film of vapor barrier material adjacent each one of said layers of flexible insulation material,

said top wall and said bottom wall each having a compartment with an edge portion defining an opening closed by a releasable fastener,

a vacuum insulation panel within each of said compartments and including an evacuated core material within a sealed enclosure of film material, and

said foldable side and back walls providing for movement of said top and bottom walls and the corresponding said vacuum insulation panels between a collapsed position for storage and an expanded position for receiving the product within said chamber through said front opening, and

each of said foldable side and back walls including an inner liner of air permeable material, one of said layers of flexible insulation material adjacent each said inner liner of said side and back walls and adapted to absorb moisture from the product through said inner liner, and a film of vapor barrier material adjacent each one of said layers of flexible insulation material within said side and back walls.

10. An insulated bag as defined in claim 9 wherein each of said walls of said bag include an outer fabric covering and said inner liner of air permeable material, and said fabric covering, said liner and said layer of flexible insulation material within said bottom wall extend continuously into said front closure flap.

11. An insulated bag as defined in claim 10 wherein said fabric covering, said liner and said layer of flexible insulation material within said top wall extend continuously into said foldable side and back walls.

12. An insulated bag as defined in claim 9 wherein said foldable back wall and said foldable side walls have center portions with stitches extending through the corresponding said fabric coverings, said liners and said layers of insulation material to form flexible hinge connections within said center portions.

13. An insulated bag as defined in claim 9 wherein said foldable back wall and said foldable side walls and said top wall have adjacent edge portions with stitches extending through the corresponding said fabric coverings, said liners and said layers of insulation material to form flexible hinge connections between said adjacent edge portions of said walls.

14. An insulated bag adapted for delivering a food product such as a hot pizza enclosed within a box, said bag comprising

a generally flat top wall and a generally flat bottom wall connected together by a foldable back wall and opposing foldable side walls,

said top, bottom, side and back walls defining a chamber having a front opening,

a flexible insulated front closure flap extending from said bottom wall for closing said front opening and connectable to said top wall by a releasable fastener,

said top, bottom, side and back walls having layers of flexible thermal insulation material,

said top wall and said bottom wall each having a compartment with an edge portion defining an opening closed by a releasable fastener,

each of said compartments adapted to receive a vacuum insulation panel having an evacuated core material within a sealed enclosure of film material,

said foldable side and back walls providing for movement of said top and bottom walls between a collapsed position for storage and an expanded position for receiving the product within said chamber through said front opening, and

said top and bottom walls each including an inner liner of air permeable material, one of said layers of flexible insulation material adjacent each said inner liner and adapted to absorb moisture passing from the product through said inner liner, and a film of vapor barrier material adjacent each one of said layers of flexible insulation material.