U.S. patent application number 11/120615 was filed with the patent office on 2005-11-03 for shipping container for temperature-sensitive products using semi-rigid or flexible foam.
Invention is credited to Nordin, Ulf, Plue, James.
Application Number | 20050241978 11/120615 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35185987 |
Filed Date | 2005-11-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050241978 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Plue, James ; et
al. |
November 3, 2005 |
Shipping container for temperature-sensitive products using
semi-rigid or flexible foam
Abstract
A shipping container or package for temperature-sensitive
products that can ship in a collapsed or flat configuration made up
of an unassembled corrugated container or box, laid flat to which
is secured a rectangular sheet of semi-rigid or flexible foam that
has had three (3) parallel grooves and both ends mitered into it so
that the insulating sheet can be folded as the container or box is
assembled, yet shipped flat.
Inventors: |
Plue, James; (Gallupville,
NY) ; Nordin, Ulf; (Swampscott, MA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MESMER & DELEAULT, PLLC
1 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE.
SUITE 125
PORTSMOUTH
NH
03801
US
|
Family ID: |
35185987 |
Appl. No.: |
11/120615 |
Filed: |
May 3, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60521476 |
May 3, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/523 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 81/3858
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/523 |
International
Class: |
B65D 085/30 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A package for temperature-sensitive products comprising: an
outside box; a first rectangular piece of foam insulation, wherein
two opposite sides of said rectangular piece are mitered at angles
that add up to 90? or less, and wherein three notches whose angles
add up to 90? or less, are formed in the insulation parallel to the
mitered sides; a top panel of foam insulation; and a bottom panel
of foam insulation, wherein the first piece, top panel, and bottom
panel are sized to fit inside the outside box when assembled.
2. The package of claim 1, wherein the foam is selected according
to the criteria that the material must have adequate thermal
barrier capability; the material must be stiff enough to hold its
shape inside the box; the material must be resistant to moisture
and dirt; the material must be non-toxic; the material must have
low cost relative to EPS and vacuum bags; and the material must be
flexible enough to conform to the shape of the box and for box
joints to seal tightly.
3. The package of claim 1, wherein the foam is made of a material
selected from the group consisting of closed cell foam and open
cell foam.
4. The package of claim 1, the foam having a thickness between 1
inch and 3 inches.
5. The package of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the foam is
calculated to maintain the temperature of package contents below
ambient temperature for at least 24 hours.
6. The package of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the foam is
calculated to maintain the temperature of package contents below
ambient temperature for at least 24 hours.
7. The package of claim 1, wherein the outside box is made of
corrugated cardboard.
8. The package of claim 1, wherein the gross weight of the package
is less than 65 pounds.
9. The package of claim 1, wherein the box and the foam are secured
to each other.
10. The package of claim 9, wherein the box and foam are secured to
each other by at least one mechanism taken from the group
consisting of adhesive and clips.
11. The package of claim 1, wherein the foam is disposed upon the
box, both in a flat position for shipping.
12. The package of claim 1, wherein the foam is made of at least
one selected from the group consisting of polyurethane and
polyethylene.
13. A method of making a package for temperature-sensitive products
comprising the steps of: providing a laid-out and unassembled box,
having pre-formed folds; providing insulating foam of a selected
thickness; cutting a rectangle out of the foam substantially the
same size as four linear sides of the box; cutting three parallel
folding notches in the foam at angles adding up to about 90?or
less; and cutting two opposite ends of the rectangle parallel to
the notches at angles that add up to 90?; and securing the foam to
the box.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the securing step is at least
one taken from the group consisting of adhering and clipping.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein cutting the three folding
notches are positioned to align with the pre-formed folds of the
box.
16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of aligning
the edges of the rectangular foam to the edges of the box before
securing them.
17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of bending
each corner of the unassembled box and securing the edges to form a
cube.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of
providing a rectangular piece of insulating foam for the top of the
box and a rectangular piece of insulating foam for the bottom of
the box.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of securing
a box top and a box bottom onto the box with the foam top and foam
bottom enclosed.
20. The method of claim 13, wherein the cutting step is performed
with a mitering tool.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Field of Invention
[0002] The field of invention relates to containers or packages,
used for temperature-sensitive products and method of producing the
same.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] When shipping or distributing temperature-sensitive products
the typical material used is expanded polystyrene ("EPS"), either
in the form of a molded container or an EPS lined corrugated box.
EPS is often sold under the STYROFOAM trademark. When more
temperature protection is required, the EPS is replaced by vacuum
panels. Vacuum panels are semi-rigid porous board wrapped in
plastic film and sealed after the air inside the board has been
reduced to create a vacuum. Other vacuum panel constructions use
rigid boards. The disadvantages of these systems are that they are
expensive to produce, they take up a great deal of space, and
therefore increase the shipping cost. The EPS molded container as
well as the EPS lined corrugated box and the vacuum panel lined box
configuration containers all must be shipped fully assembled to the
user.
[0005] Other packaging methods for temperature-sensitive can get
very complex and therefore very expensive for both the package and
the shipping cost. One example of such complex methods is disclosed
in U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,703, which is not admitted to being prior
art by its mention in this Background section. The '703 patent
discloses an insulating vacuum panel and method for making the
same. It does not teach any way of making a vacuum panel assembly
to a package in a flat state, and therefore must also be shipped
fully assembled to the user.
[0006] What is needed, therefore, is a shipping container or
package for temperature-sensitive products, with equal to or
improved insulating properties to those of existing products, but
costs less to produce and that may be shipped flat or collapsed
(un-assembled) to the user which will save a considerable amount of
money.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0007] A container or package for shipping temperature-sensitive
products with superior insulating properties and that can be
shipped flat to the end user, comprises an unassembled corrugated
box to which is secured a rectangular sheet of either semi-rigid or
flexible foam (from here onward called "foam", that has three
parallel grooves and both ends mitered into it so that the
insulating sheet can be folded as the corrugated box is assembled,
yet shipped flat. These and other features, aspects, and advantages
of the present invention will become better understood with regard
to the following description, claims, and accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a semi-rigid or flexible
foam sheet shaped to the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an assembled corrugated box
with the shaped sheet of foam inside the box, all four sides, top
and bottom.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] A shipping container or package for temperature-sensitive
products that can ship flat comprises an unassembled box laid flat,
to which is secured a rectangular sheet of insulating "foam," as
the term is herein defined, that has had three parallel grooves and
both ends mitered into it so that the insulating sheet can be
folded as the box is assembled, yet shipped flat. The apparatus,
and the method of making the shipping container or package, are
described as follows.
[0011] Turning to FIG. 1, a sheet of insulating foam 10, is
provided. The foam can be closed or open cell type foam. The sheet
is first cut the desired thickness, length and width. The length
and width will correspond to the inside dimensions of the box to be
used. The preferred box 12 is a corrugated cardboard box. Then the
ends 10a, 10b of the sheet will be cut at an angle with an
appropriate cutter. Three grooves will also be cut or formed, using
an appropriate cutter, corresponding to the folding lines of the
corrugated box. Each groove will be cut to an appropriate angle
depending on foam thickness, depth and width of box. Angle pairs,
namely 10a, 10b, and 10c, 10d, and 10e, 10f, and 10g, 10h should
have included angles that add up to approximately 90 degrees or
less so that they fit together.
[0012] After the sheet 10 is formed, it is secured to an unfolded,
knock-down, unassembled corrugated box. The securing is preferably
done with adhesive, but other securing such as clips or other
methods can be used that are well known in the art. The assembly
can be shipped at this state, dramatically lowering the shipping
cost. The use of foam also contributes to its low cost.
[0013] Turning to FIG. 2, the corrugated box 12 is then folded and
the ends are secured so that it can be used to transport
temperature-sensitive products. One can see that the sheet 10 fits
snugly in the corrugated box 12 using this system. A semi-rigid or
flexible foam top 14 and bottom 16 are also provided to fit snugly
to the top and bottom of the box 12.
[0014] The foam ranges from soft to semi-rigid, based on the
density of foam used. The system is ideal for shipments weighing
less than 65 pounds, which is also the limit for couriers like Fed
Ex, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service. Insulating a box in this way
is capable of keeping its contents cold for between 24 to 48 hours.
The preferred thickness of the foam is between one (1) and three
(3) inches, depending upon the product, temperature to be
maintained and size of shipping container or package.
[0015] Major benefits of this system of the present invention
besides the ability to be shipped flat is the substantial reduction
in both delivery time and cost. Compared with the making of an
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) container which requires an expensive
fabricating mold. The mold average cost is $40,000.00, and a
typical fabrication time is 4 (four) to 8 (eight) weeks from order
to delivery. In contrast, the foam can be cut to any desired shape,
on demand, with no capital invested in molds. The present invention
saves both time and money.
[0016] Instead of foam, other materials that meet the important
criteria can be used. The criteria are that it must be: 1) adequate
in terms of thermal barrier capability; 2) stiff enough to hold its
shape inside the corrugated box; 3) resistant to moisture and dirt;
4) non-toxic; 5) low cost; and 6) flexible enough to conform to the
shape of the corrugated box and for the joints to seal tightly.
Polyurethane and polyethylene are examples of suitable
materials.
[0017] While there have been described what are present considered
to be the preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be
obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and
modifications may be made therein without departing from the
invention, and it is, therefore, aimed to cover all such changes
and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the
invention.
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