U.S. patent application number 13/705492 was filed with the patent office on 2013-06-06 for combination insulation system.
This patent application is currently assigned to DGP INTELSIUS LTD.. The applicant listed for this patent is DGP Intelsius Ltd.. Invention is credited to Alex ROSKOSS.
Application Number | 20130140317 13/705492 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45541212 |
Filed Date | 2013-06-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130140317 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ROSKOSS; Alex |
June 6, 2013 |
COMBINATION INSULATION SYSTEM
Abstract
A thermally insulating packaging system including insulated
walls surrounding an internal cavity. At least one of the faces of
the packaging system is insulated with a first type of thermal
insulating material and the remaining faces of the packaging system
are insulated with a second type of insulating material. The first
insulation material is a Vacuum Insulation Panel (VIP). The VIP is
fitted to a frame, which is formed by a single piece of the second
insulation material. The second insulating material is a shaped
insulating foam. The frame provides a support for the VIP via a
contact surface. The VIP is held in contact with the frame. Here,
the frame can be shaped and sized so as to provide a positive
holding force. Additionally or alternatively, an outer cover can be
used such as a rigid external fitting, flexible cover, shrinkable
or elastic cover or other means.
Inventors: |
ROSKOSS; Alex; (Elvington,
York, GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
DGP Intelsius Ltd.; |
York |
|
GB |
|
|
Assignee: |
DGP INTELSIUS LTD.
York
GB
|
Family ID: |
45541212 |
Appl. No.: |
13/705492 |
Filed: |
December 5, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/592.25 ;
220/592.26; 53/410 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 81/3823 20130101;
B65B 55/00 20130101; B65D 81/3862 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/592.25 ;
220/592.26; 53/410 |
International
Class: |
B65D 81/38 20060101
B65D081/38; B65B 55/00 20060101 B65B055/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 5, 2011 |
GB |
1120867.5 |
Claims
1. A thermally insulating packaging system comprising insulated
walls surrounding an internal cavity, wherein the insulated walls
have a face and at least one of the faces is insulated with a first
type of thermal insulating material and the remaining faces of the
packaging system are insulated with a second type of insulating
material.
2. The thermally insulating packaging system of claim 1, wherein
the first insulation material is a vacuum insulation material and
the second insulating material is a shaped insulating foam.
3. The thermally insulating packaging system of claim 2, wherein
the vacuum insulation material forms a Vacuum Insulation Panel
having a substantially constant thickness.
4. The thermally insulating packaging system of claim 2, wherein
the shaped insulating foam is formed or machined into a complex
shape having varying wall thickness.
5. The thermally insulating packaging system of claim 2, wherein
the shaped insulating foam forms a single-piece body that supports
the first insulation material.
6. The thermally insulating packaging system of claim 5, wherein
the body provides a contact surface for the first insulation
material.
7. The thermally insulating packaging system of claim 6, wherein
the body comprises a peripheral lip formed by a shoulder section
that is adapted to receive the first insulating material.
8. The thermally insulating packaging system of claim 1, wherein
the first insulating material at least covers substantially a first
major face and the remaining faces other than the faces insulated
by the first material are insulated with a single piece of second
insulating material.
9. The thermally insulating packaging system of claim 8, wherein at
least two major faces are covered substantially by the first
insulating material.
10. The thermally insulating packaging system of claim 1, including
retaining means to apply a compressive force between the first
insulating material and the second insulating material.
11. The thermally insulating packaging system of claim 10, wherein
the retaining means comprises an outer shell.
12. A method of forming a thermally insulating packaging system,
the method comprising assembling a first insulating material to a
second insulating material in order to form an internal cavity
surrounded by insulated walls, wherein the insulated walls have a
face and at least one of the faces is insulated with the first type
of thermal insulating material and the remaining faces of the
packaging system are insulated with the second type of insulating
material.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein assembling the first insulating
material to the second insulating material comprises locating a
Vacuum Insulation Panel having a substantially constant thickness
formed of the first insulating material on to a shoulder of a
single-piece body of shaped insulating foam formed from the second
insulating material.
14. The method of claim 12, including assembling an outer shell
around the first insulating material and the second insulating
material in order to apply a compressive force between the first
insulating material and the second insulating material.
Description
[0001] This invention relates to an insulated packaging system.
[0002] Expanded or extruded polymer foam materials are often used
to provide insulation in temperature controlled packing systems.
These materials can be extruded, injection moulded or processed by
other means to create complex 3D shapes. The insulation provided by
these materials is directly proportional to the thickness provided.
However, the thermal insulation properties of these materials are
limited, meaning that to achieve greater temperature differentials
a very thick packaging is required, which can be costly and can
make the packages excessively large for the insulated volume
within.
[0003] It is an object of the present invention to address at least
one of the above or other disadvantages. It is a further aim to
provide a packaging system that has a reduced external volume
whilst providing a given thermal insulation level.
[0004] According to the present invention there is provided a
thermally insulating packaging system and method of forming the
same as set forth in the appended claims. Other features of the
invention will be apparent from the dependent claims, and the
description which follows.
[0005] According to an exemplary embodiment there is provided a
thermally insulating packaging system comprising insulated walls
surrounding an internal cavity, wherein at least one of the faces
of the packaging system is insulated with a first type of thermal
insulating material and the remaining faces of the packaging system
are insulated with a second type of insulating material.
[0006] In the exemplary embodiments, the first insulation material
is a vacuum insulation material. Here, the vacuum insulation
material may form a Vacuum Insulation Panel (VIP) having a
substantially constant thickness. The VIP is fitted to a body or
frame, which in the exemplary embodiments is formed by a single
piece of the second insulation material. Here, the second
insulating material is a shaped insulating foam such as an expanded
or extruded polymer foam material or the like that can be formed or
machined into a complex shape having varying wall thickness. The
frame provides a support for the VIP. The support provides a
contact surface for the VIP. In the exemplary embodiments, the
contact surface provides a continuous, looped contact area to the
VIP. For instance, the contact surface can be a ledge or the like
that contacts a periphery of the VIP. The VIP is held in contact
with the frame. Here, the frame can be shaped and sized so as to
provide a positive holding force. Additionally or alternatively, an
outer cover can be used such as a rigid external fitting, flexible
cover, shrinkable or elastic cover or other means.
[0007] In a particular exemplary embodiment, the first insulating
material may at least cover substantially a first major face and
preferably covers at least two major faces. Here, the two major
faces may be opposite faces. For instance, in an example of a
cuboid packaging system the first insulation material is used for
the opposite, preferably upper and lower, rectangular faces
thereof.
[0008] In the exemplary embodiments, the first insulation material
may be a vacuum insulation material, for example it may be a low
density insulation material, which is preferably being encapsulated
within a gas barrier, with the atmosphere in the gas barrier
preferably being removed to form an evacuated insulation panel. The
material used for the vacuum insulated material may be fumed silica
or may be aero-gel. Here, the first and second major faces are
insulated with first and second panels.
[0009] In a particular exemplary embodiment, the remaining, or side
faces other than the faces insulated by the first material are
insulated with a single piece of material, which may form a body
section, which is preferably ring-shaped, or toroidal, preferably
having openings therein to receive the first type of thermal
insulating material. Here, the opening is an opening to the cavity.
The remaining faces of the packaging system are insulated using the
second material, which may be an expanded polymer foam or may be an
extruded polymer foam material.
[0010] In the exemplary embodiments, the body section defines side
walls of an internal cavity adapted to receive an item to be
packaged.
[0011] In a particular exemplary embodiment, the body section
comprises an upper peripheral lip, and preferably also comprises a
lower peripheral lip. The peripheral lips preferably enclose a
respective upper or lower panel. Here, the body section preferably
incorporates an upper shoulder section, preferably located within
the upper peripheral lip. The body section preferably incorporates
a lower shoulder section, preferably located within the lower
peripheral lip. The or each shoulder section is preferably adapted
to receive a major face of a respective first or second panel.
[0012] A major face in the context used herein is a face having a
larger area than other faces, for example a thin panel shape has
two faces of substantially greater area than faces forming edges of
the panel.
[0013] For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how
embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will
now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic
drawings in which:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a thermal
packaging system.
[0015] A thermal packaging system 10 comprises an outer shell 12,
upper and lower vacuum insulation panels 14 and 16 respectively and
a single body piece for the side walls 18.
[0016] In more detail, the side walls 18 are formed as body section
in a ring or toroid shape, i.e. a box without a lid or base. The
material used may be expanded polystyrene foam, extruded
polystyrene foam, expanded polyethylene foam, polyphenolic foam,
polyurethane foam or other high insulation rigid or semi-rigid
insulation material capable of being formed into a complex 3D
shape. This material has the advantage of being shapeable to a
desired shape for use with a particular thermally insulating
packaging.
[0017] The minor faces of the packaging system are formed by the
side walls 18. An internal cavity 20 has a shape defined by the
side walls 18. The benefit of being able to form the side walls in
the chosen material allows for the shape of the internal cavity 20
to be formed very accurately.
[0018] As mentioned above, the insulation properties of the
expanded or extruded polymer foam materials used is directly
proportional to the thickness of the side walls 18.
[0019] The upper and lower major face panels 14 and 16 are formed
using vacuum insulation materials, the shape of which is typically
limited to simple panel shapes, because of the difficulty of
forming and evacuating the vacuum insulation materials. Thus these
pieces are typically rectangular in plan. The insulation provided
by the vacuum insulation materials panels 14 and 16 is typically a
function of the ratio of panel edge to panel major face and the
quality of the vacuum maintained within the panel 14/16.
[0020] As can be seen in FIG. 1 the structure of the single piece
body 18 provides a contact surface being a thin rim wall 22, to
retain outer edges of the upper/lower panel 14/16 and a thicker
ledge wall 24, which provides a lip onto which the upper panel 14
can be placed. Similarly, although not shown, there is a ledge 24
and rim 22 into which the lower panel 16 can fit in the same
way.
[0021] The ledge 24 provides the upper and lower panels 14/16 an
interface surface to provide a continuous ring of contact between a
major face of each of the vacuum insulation panels 14/16 and the
expanded/extruded polymer foam material of the body piece 18.
Therefore, this arrangement forms a contact surface which includes
all of the edge areas of the major face of the vacuum insulation
panels 14/16.
[0022] When the lower panel 16 has been fitted within the rim wall
22 at the lower end of the side wall structure 18 and contacts the
ledge 24 and likewise the upper panel 14 has been placed in
position the structure can be placed within the external shell 12,
the cavity is well insulated and the good interfaces between the
body piece 18 and the upper and lower panels 14/16 prevents thermal
leakage between the sections. Any contents within the cavity 20 are
therefore thermally insulated for shipping.
[0023] An alternative to the external shell 12 would be to us a
partial or complete enclosure in a flexible external fitting, or a
feature of the shaped insulating foam part 18 which could be used
to retain the upper and lower panels 14/16 respectively, or by the
use of a shrinkable or elastic part end enclosure, for example a
shrink wrap around the upper and lower panels 14/16 and the side
wall structure 18.
[0024] A significant advantage from the thermally insulating
package described above is that the volume of the package for a
given level of thermal insulation is reduced. The reason for this
is that the vacuum insulation panels 14/16 have an improved
thermally insulating characteristic compared to the side wall
structure 18. Thus, the overall volume of the temperature control
package is reduced, because of the greater efficiency of the vacuum
insulated panels. Given that shipping costs relate to the overall
volume of package, it is an significant advantage that the overall
volume is reduced. However, the benefit of being able to shape the
side wall structure to provided a shaped package, as required for a
particular item to be placed within the package has been retained.
Furthermore, it will be noticed that the use of upper and lower
panels 14/16 with the vacuum insulation material results in
significantly shortening of one access of the overall package,
which significantly reduces the shipping costs in line with the
reasoning above.
[0025] Although preferred embodiment(s) of the present invention
have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those
skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from
the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.
* * * * *