U.S. patent application number 13/161999 was filed with the patent office on 2012-02-02 for thermal container.
Invention is credited to Gary W. Humphries, Alan W. McKinnon.
Application Number | 20120028775 13/161999 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41504227 |
Filed Date | 2012-02-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120028775 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Humphries; Gary W. ; et
al. |
February 2, 2012 |
THERMAL CONTAINER
Abstract
A thermal insulating liner for a container lid has a top sheet
and a bottom sheet spaced by a core. The bottom sheet has an
exterior metal foil layer. A side edge-to-side edge transverse cut
line extends through the bottom sheet proximate each of two opposed
ends of the liner. The liner has reduced thickness end margins
extending between each said side edge-to-side edge transverse cut
line and each of the opposed ends. A die to make the lid liner has
a central well and, proximate each end of the die, an upward step
to a land with an inside edge of the step having a ramp surface. A
first cutting blade protrudes upwardly from the land and a second
cutting blade protrudes upwardly above the land at each end of the
die and above the level of the first cutting blade.
Inventors: |
Humphries; Gary W.;
(Dartmouth, CA) ; McKinnon; Alan W.; (Dartmouth,
CA) |
Family ID: |
41504227 |
Appl. No.: |
13/161999 |
Filed: |
June 16, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12170870 |
Jul 10, 2008 |
7975905 |
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13161999 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
493/59 ; 493/160;
493/363; 493/396; 493/74 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 428/24149 20150115;
B32B 3/12 20130101; B32B 2439/00 20130101; B65D 81/3823 20130101;
B32B 2307/304 20130101; B32B 27/36 20130101; B31B 50/20 20170801;
B65D 25/16 20130101; B32B 15/085 20130101; B31B 2105/00 20170801;
B31B 50/22 20170801; B31B 2120/407 20170801; B32B 15/08 20130101;
B32B 27/32 20130101; B32B 7/12 20130101; B32B 27/10 20130101; B65D
81/3848 20130101; B31B 50/252 20170801; B65D 81/3897 20130101; B32B
3/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
493/59 ; 493/74;
493/160; 493/363; 493/396 |
International
Class: |
B31B 1/16 20060101
B31B001/16; B31B 1/25 20060101 B31B001/25 |
Claims
1. A die for forming a thermal insulating liner for a container
lid, comprising: a central well; proximate each end of said die: an
upward step to a land, an inside edge of said step having a ramp
surface; a first cutting blade protruding upwardly from said land;
a second cutting blade protruding upwardly above said land at said
each end of said die, said second cutting blade extending above
said first cutting blade.
2. The die of claim 1 wherein said die is rectangular, each said
land is an end land and each said step is an end step, and further
comprising, proximate each side of said die: an upward side step to
a side land, an inside edge of said side step having a ramp
surface; a cutting blade protruding upwardly above said side land
at said each side of said die.
3. The die of claim 2 wherein each said side land is narrower than
each said end land.
4. The die of claim 3 wherein each said end land has a lower level
and an upward land step to an upper level at said second cutting
blade, an inside edge of said land step having a ramp surface.
5. The die of claim 4 wherein each said side land extends to a
level of each said end land upper level.
6. A die for forming a thermal insulating liner for a container
body, comprising: a central well; a circumferential cutting blade
defining a generally rectangular shape; four generally square lands
extending from each corner of said generally rectangular shape; a
narrow land extending along said cutting blade and between each
pair of corner lands and a ramp surface between said central well
and each said narrow land.
7. The die of claim 6 further comprising a pair of end-to-end
creasing ridges, each end-to-end creasing ridge extending along an
inside side of a pair of corner lands and a pair of side-to-side
creasing ridges, each side-to-side creasing ridge extending along
an inside side of a pair of corner lands.
8. The die of claim 7 further comprising a diagonal creasing ridge
extending through each said corner land from a corner of said
generally rectangular shape.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser.
No. 12/170,870 filed Jul. 10, 2008, the contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] This invention relates to a container, thermal insulating
liners for a container, and dies for making thermal insulating
liners.
[0003] Perishable goods may be packed in containers for shipping
that utilize materials such as waxed corrugate and expanded foam. A
refrigerant may be placed in the container with the goods. For
example, it is known to pack fresh fish in a bag, surround the bag
with a frozen Gel-Pack or ice, and place the bag and refrigerant in
a corrugated container lined with polystyrene insulation. While
such a thermally insulated container will keep the container
contents acceptably refrigerated for a period of time, shipping
times may exceed this time period. Further, the materials used for
the containers, and especially expanded foam materials, give rise
to environmental concerns.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,372 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,957 attempt
to improve the insulating properties of a container by using panels
formed of a honeycomb material covered by aluminum foil. However,
there is a risk of leakage and there also remains a need for a
thermal container which maintains its contents in a refrigerated
state for a longer time period.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0005] A thermal insulating liner for a container lid has a top
sheet and a bottom sheet spaced by a core. The bottom sheet
comprises a metal foil layer. A side edge-to-side edge transverse
cut line extends through the bottom sheet proximate each of two
opposed ends of the liner. The liner has reduced thickness end
margins extending between each said side edge-to-side edge
transverse cut line and each of the opposed ends.
[0006] In a container, the lid liner may be adhered to an inside of
a lid. The container also has a further liner with an inner sheet
and an outer sheet spaced by a core with the inner sheet comprising
a metal foil layer. The further liner is folded into a container
body.
[0007] A die to make the lid liner may have a central well and,
proximate each end of the die, an upward step to a land with an
inside edge of the step having a ramp surface. A first cutting
blade protrudes upwardly from the land and a second cutting blade
protrudes upwardly above the land at each end of the die and above
the level of the first cutting blade.
[0008] A die to make the container body liner may have a central
well, a circumferential cutting blade defining a generally
rectangular shape and four generally square lands extending from
each corner of the generally rectangular shape. A narrow land may
extend along the cutting blade between each pair of corner lands
with a ramp from the central well to each narrow land.
[0009] Other features and advantages of the invention will become
apparent from the following description in conjunction with the
drawings.
DRAWINGS
[0010] In the figures which illustrate an example embodiment of the
invention,
[0011] FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views of a partially erected
insulating liner for a container body made in accordance with this
invention,
[0012] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a container body made in
accordance with this invention,
[0013] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a container made in accordance
with this invention,
[0014] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 3
shown closed,
[0015] FIGS. 5A and 5B are perspective views of a lid liner of the
container of FIG. 3,
[0016] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along the lines 6-6 of FIG.
4,
[0017] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view along the lines 7-7 of FIG.
4,
[0018] FIG. 8 is a fragmentary top view of a die for fabricating
the lid liner of FIGS. 5A and 5B,
[0019] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view along the lines 9-9 of FIG.
8,
[0020] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view along the lines 10-10 of
FIG. 8, and
[0021] FIG. 11 is a top view of a die for fabricating the container
body liner of FIGS. 1A and 1B.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] Turning to FIG. 1A, a partially erected insulating liner 20
has a bottom wall 22, side walls 24, 26, end walls 28, 30, and
corner walls 32, 34, 36, 38. The walls are separated by crease
lines 40-1 and 40-2. Additionally, score lines 39 bisect the corner
walls. The crease lines 40-1 and 40-2 have a gentle slope to the
centre of the crease line, but crease lines 40-1, which are between
the bottom wall 22 and each of the side 24, 26 and end walls 28,
30, may have a modestly greater slope to the centre of the crease
than do the remaining crease lines 40-2. The corner walls 32, 34,
36, 38 are compressed such that they have a reduced thickness as
compared with the bottom wall 22. Additionally, the perimeter of
the liner 20 along the side walls 24, 26 and along the end walls
28, 30 has a ramp surface 42 down to a reduced thickness edge.
[0023] FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2 show the progressive erection of liner
20, with FIG. 1B illustrating the direction in which each wall is
folded to erect the liner. As seen in FIG. 2, when erected, corner
walls 32, 34 of liner 20 are folded behind end wall 28 and corner
walls 36, 38 are folded behind end wall 30 such that the liner
forms the shape of an open container body. This folding is
facilitated by the fact that the corner walls have a reduced
thickness and by crease lines 40-2 and score lines 39. Once the
corner walls are folded back, this will tend to further compress
the base of the corner walls, as is seen in FIG. 7. With continued
reference to FIG. 2, when erected, the top edge of the side walls
24, 26 and end walls 28, 30 of the liner 20 have ramp surface 42.
Also, because of the shape of the liner blank, the top edges of the
corner walls lie below the top edge of the end walls 28, 30. Liner
20 may be slid into a base 44. The base 44 has a pair of end walls
46, a pair of side walls 48, and inwardly folded end flaps 50
underlain by inwardly folded side flaps 52. Each of the end walls
has a cut out 54 to provide a hand grip.
[0024] Turning to FIGS. 3 and 4, once the erected liner 20 is slid
into the base 44, the base holds the liner erect. The base 44, with
the inserted liner 20, forms the body 56 of a container 58.
Notably, the top edges of the side walls 26 and the end wall 28 of
the erected liner 20 lie flush with, or slightly above, the top
edges of the base whereas the corner walls lie flush with or below
the top edges of the base. The lid 60 of the container has a top
wall 62, a pair of narrow side walls 64 and a pair of narrow end
walls 66. A thermal lid liner 70 is glued to the inside face of the
top wall 62 of the lid. The base 44 and container lid (apart from
thermal liner 70) may be fabricated of corrugate.
[0025] Referencing FIGS. 5A and 5B, the thermal lid liner 70 has a
top sheet 72, a bottom sheet 74, and a core 76. The top and bottom
sheets have an exterior metal foil layer laminated to an interior
plastic substrate, such as a polypropylene, polyethylene or
polyester substrate. The plastic substrate is glued to Kraft liner
board paper. The core 76 is a series of Kraft paper walls between
the top 72 and bottom 74 sheets forming honeycomb-shaped cells. The
foil layer of the bottom sheet faces the interior of the container
when the container is closed and therefore reflects cold back into
the container. The foil layer of the top sheet faces the outside of
the container when the container is closed and therefore reflects
heat away from the container. The thermal liner 20 is constructed
in the same manner as liner 70 such that liner 20 has an inwardly
facing foil layer and an outwardly facing foil layer.
[0026] The thermal lid liner 70 has a transverse cut line 80
proximate each of its ends 82 extending from one side edge 84 to
the other side edge 84 of the liner. This cut line extends through
the bottom sheet 74 of the liner and may also extend part way
through the core 76.
[0027] With reference to FIG. 6, the lid liner 70 has a thickness,
T, at a middle portion of the liner and a reduced, thickness, R, in
an end margin M extending between each side edge-to-side edge
transverse cut line 80 and an adjacent end 82 of the liner. With
reference to FIG. 7 along with FIG. 6, the lid liner 70 also has a
reduced thickness band P about the perimeter of the lid liner,
which perimeter band is thinner than the end margins M of the lid
liner 70. As will be apparent from FIGS. 6 and 7, the top sheet 72
of the liner is generally planar and the bottom sheet 74 is
generally planar except where the liner transitions in thickness.
At the ends of the lid liner, the liner transitions in thickness
from thickness T to reduced thickness R at a ramp surface 86 which
is interrupted by cut line 80 and transitions from reduced
thickness R to the further reduced thickness at the perimeter band
P at a ramp surface 90. At the sides of the lid liner, the liner
transitions from thickness T to the further reduced thickness at
the perimeter band P of the liner at a ramp surface 88. The cut
lines 80 assist in retaining the transition in thickness at end
margins M and assist in allowing the mating of ramps 86 and 42.
[0028] The width of margin M along the ends of the liner
substantially matches the thickness of the plural layers at the
ends of the erected container body liner 20, and the width of the
perimeter band substantially matches the thickness of the base 44.
In consequence, with the container closed, the end margins M of the
lid liner sit on the plural folded layers of the end of the
container body liner with a ramp surface 86 of the lid liner
abutting a ramp surface 42 of the container body liner and the
perimeter band P of the lid liner sits on the top edges of the base
44. When closed, additionally, ramp surface 88 at each side of the
lid liner abuts a ramp surface 42 at each side of the container
body liner. When the lid 60 is in place, it may be pushed
downwardly to further compress the lid liner and held in this
position with strapping or the like. This forms a tight seal
between the container body and lid thereby enhancing the thermal
insulating properties of the container. Thus, the lid liner acts as
a gasket providing a seal to the container body.
[0029] Lid liner 70 may be fabricated using the die illustrated in
FIGS. 8 to 10. Turning to these figures, die 100 has a central well
102. Proximate each end 104 of the die, the die has an upward step
106 to an end land 108. An inside edge of this step has a ramp
surface 110. A cutting blade 114 protrudes upwardly above the end
land. The end land 108 has an upward land step to an upper level
112; a cutting blade 116 extends along the end 104 of the die at
the upper level 112 of the end land and extends above the level of
the cutting blade 114.
[0030] Proximate each side of the die, the die has an upward step
126 to a side land 128. An inside edge of the step 126 has a ramp
surface 130. A cutting blade 136 extends along the side of the die
and protrudes above the side land 128.
[0031] Each side land 128 is flush with the upper level 112 of the
end lands 108 and has a similar width to the width of the upper
level 112.
[0032] With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, a liner 70 may be formed
from a blank by placing the blank on the die with the bottom side
74 facing the die and then pressing the blank downwardly with a
platen. This will form the cut lines 80 in the blank, cut the blank
to size, and crush the end margins M and perimeter band P of the
lid liner to their reduced thicknesses while forming the ramp
surfaces 86, 88, and 90.
[0033] Container body liner 20 may be fabricated using the die of
FIG. 11. Turning to this figure, die 200 has a central well 202
with a circumferential cutting blade 204 defining a generally
rectangular shape. A generally square corner land 206-1, 206-2,
206-3, 206-4 extends from each corner of the generally rectangular
shape and a narrow land 208, 210 extends along the cutting blade
204 between adjacent corner lands. End-to-end creasing ridges 212
extend along an inside side of corner lands 206-1, 206-2 and along
an inside side of corner lands 206-3, 206-4. Side-to-side creasing
ridges 214 extend along an inside side of corner lands 206-1, 206-4
and along an inside side of corner lands 206-2, 206-3. A diagonal
scoring ridge 216 extends through each corner land between a corner
of the generally rectangular shape and an intersection of the
end-to-end and side-to-side creasing ridges. Ramps 218 extend
upwardly to the narrow lands 208, 210. These ramps may have a
40.degree. slope and will form ramps 42 (FIG. 1A) in a container
body liner made on the die. Ramps 222 extend upwardly to end-to-end
creasing ridges 212 between the side-to-side creasing ridges and
upwardly to the side-to-side creasing ridges 214 between the
end-to-end creasing ridges. These ramps 222 may have a 10.degree.
slope and will form, with the creasing ridges, creases 40-1 in the
container body liner. Ramps 226 extend upwardly to the portion of
the end-to-end creasing ridges 212 and side-to-side creasing ridges
214 which lie along the inside edges of the corner lands. These
ramps 226 may have a 7.degree. slope and will form, along with the
creasing ridges, creases 40-2 in the container body liner. Scoring
ridges 216 form the scores 39 in the container body liner.
[0034] By forming the container body by folding a single panel
(liner 70), there are no seams for liquids to leak through.
Further, by gently creasing the liner, the chances of compromising
the integrity of the liner, and hence risking leaks, is reduced.
Applying the foil layer to a plastic substrate has the additional
advantage that their relatively high elasticity permits the die
operations without losing their integrity and thereby risking
leaks.
[0035] The honeycomb core in the thermal liners 20 and 70 enhance
their thermal properties as the honeycomb structures provide
insulating dead air spaces. This, in conjunction with the seal
formed between the lid 60 and container body 56 results in a
container with superior thermal performance. Indeed, it has been
observed that the described container may maintain contents in a
refrigerated state for upwards of sixty hours. Further, it will be
appreciated that the container is formed of environmentally benign
materials.
[0036] Many modifications within the spirit of the invention are
possible. For example, it would be possible to utilize a core in
the thermal liners 20, 70 other than the described honeycomb
structures provided the core is crushable. Also, the sheets of the
thermal liners could omit the Kraft liner board paper. It would
also be possible to omit the plastic substrate, however, this could
significantly reduce the leak resistance of the container. Further,
sufficient thermal insulation may be possible if only the inner
sheets of the liners comprise a foil layer.
[0037] Rather than placing a liner blank on one of the described
dies and pressing the blank into the die, male and female dies
could be used.
[0038] Other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the
art and, therefore, the invention is defined in the claims.
* * * * *