CONTAINER FOR PACKAGE

Abstract

An insulative container includes a container-support frame and a container shell coupled to the container-support frame. A method of forming the insulative container includes forming the container-support frame and the container shell. The container-support frame and the container shell include polymeric materials.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to packages, and particularly to containers. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to polymeric containers.

SUMMARY

According to the present disclosure, an insulative container includes a container-support frame and a container shell coupled to the container-support frame. The container-support frame is configured to reinforce the container shell while the container shell provides insulation for the insulative container.

In illustrative embodiments, the container-support frame includes an upper support, a lower support, and a sidewall support. The upper and lower supports both extend around a central axis of the insulative container. The sidewall support interconnects the upper support and the lower support and extends only partway around the central axis.

In illustrative embodiments, the container shell includes a bottom panel coupled with the lower support and a side panel spaced apart from the bottom panel. The side panel includes an upper end coupled with the upper support, a lower end coupled with the lower support, a first circumferential end coupled with a first portion of the sidewall support, and a second circumferential end coupled with a second portion of the sidewall support.

In illustrative embodiments, the container-support frame includes a first polymeric formulation and a first density. In illustrative embodiments, the bottom panel and the side panel of the container shell include a foamed sheet including a second polymeric formulation having a second density less than the first density.

Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an insulative container, in accordance with the present disclosure, including a container-support frame configured to increase a rigidity of the insulative container and a container shell configured to increase thermal insulation of the container, and showing portions of the container shell removed to expose a portion of the container-support frame, as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the insulative container from FIG. 1 with the container shell removed to show that the container shell includes a side panel configured to form a portion of a sidewall of the container with the container-support frame and a bottom panel configured to form a portion of a floor of the container with the container support frame and showing that the container-support frame includes an upper support configured to engage and support an upper end of the side panel, a lower support configured to engage and support a lower end of the side panel and the bottom panel, and a sidewall support configured to bond with and support the container shell during an in-mold labeling process, as shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged portion of FIG. 1 showing that the container shell includes a foamed sheet having a lower density than the container-support frame;

FIG. 4 is an exploded assembly view of the insulative container showing, from top to bottom, the container-support frame, the bottom panel of the container shell, and the side panel of the container shell;

FIG. 5 is a cross section of the insulative container taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 1 showing that the side panel of the container shell extends a majority of the way around a central axis of the insulative container;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 5 showing that the sidewall support includes a support rib forming a portion of an exterior surface of the insulative container with the side panel of the container shell and a pair of support flanges configured to support respective ends of the side panel of the container shell;

FIG. 7 is a cross section of the insulative container taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 5 showing that upper support includes a brim and an upper skirt extending downwardly away from the brim toward the lower support and showing that the lower support includes a floor, a lower skirt extending upwardly away from the floor and toward the upper support, and a mount flange coupled to the lower skirt and extending inwardly toward the central axis;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a plurality of stacked insulative containers including the insulative container showing that each insulative container includes a plurality of stack lugs formed with the container-support frame and configured to engage the brim of an adjacent insulative container to provide spacing between portions of each insulative container; and

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic flowchart showing the in-mold labeling process by which the insulative container is formed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A package 10 includes a container 11, in accordance with the present disclosure, and a closure 100 configured to close an opening 24 formed in the container 11 as shown in FIG. 1. The container 11 includes a reinforcement container-support frame 12 and an insulative, container shell 14 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The container-support frame 12 and the container shell 14 establish an interior region 16. Products, such as food products, may be placed in the interior region 16 and sealed inside of the interior region 16 of the container 11. In the illustrative embodiment, the container 11 is formed by an in-mold labeling process 200 from a foamed sheet that is trimmed to form container shell preforms, and then injection molding molten polymeric material into a mold with the container shell preforms as shown in FIG. 9. During the process 200, the container shell preforms bond with the molten polymeric material which forms the container-shell support 12 once solidified to reinforce the container shell 14.

The container-support frame 12 of the container 11 includes an upper support 18, a sidewall support 20, and a lower support 22 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The upper support 18 is an annular ring that extends around a central axis of the package 10 and provides an upper end of the container-support frame 12. The upper support 18 defines the opening 24 into the interior region 16 of the container 11. The sidewall support 20 is arranged to extend downwardly from the upper support 18 to couple the upper support 18 to the lower support 22. The lower support 22 is an annular ring that extends around the central axis and provides a bottom end opposite the upper end of the container-support frame 12.

The upper support 18 is formed to include a flat brim 26 and an upper skirt 27 as shown in FIG. 1. The flat brim 26 is configured to mate with the closure 100 to seal the opening 24 of the container 11 and to seal the products contained in the interior region 16 therein. The flat brim 26 provides a constant sealing surface for the closure 100, which may comprise a film seal. The upper skirt 27 extends downwardly from flat brim 26 toward the lower support 22. At least a portion of the container shell 14 is configured to attach to the upper skirt 27.

The container-support frame 12 may further include a plurality of stack lugs 28 and a bottom-panel support 30 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The plurality of stack lugs 28 extend downwardly from the upper support 18. The plurality of stack lugs 28 allow multiple containers 11 to be stacked together, as shown in FIG. 8, such that a small space is maintained between the flat brim 26 of each container 11 when the containers 11 are stacked. The plurality of stack lugs 28 allow multiple containers 11 to be stacked together in a compact arrangement, allowing for efficient transport and storage of the containers 11. The bottom-panel support 30 extends inwardly from the lower support 22 and supports a portion of the container shell 14 on the container-support frame 12 to reinforce the container shell 14 against deflection relative to the lower support.

The container shell 14 includes a bottom panel 32 and a side panel 34 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The bottom panel 32 fits within the lower support 22 of the container-support frame 12 underneath the bottom-panel support 30 as shown in FIG. 1. The side panel 34 extends between the upper support 18 and the lower support 22. The side panel 34 forms an exterior sidewall of the container 11 that a consumer grasps when using the container 11.

The lower support 22 is formed to include a floor 40, a lower skirt 42, and a mount flange 44 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The floor 40 provides a lowermost portion of the container 11 to rest on surfaces when the container 11 is in an upright position. The lower skirt 42 extends upwardly from floor 40 toward the upper support 18. The side panel 34 of the container shell 14 is configured to attach to exterior-facing surfaces of the upper skirt 27 and the lower skirt 42. The mount flange 44 is spaced apart from the floor 40 and extends inwardly from the lower skirt 42 toward the central axis. The bottom panel 32 is configured to attach to downwardly-facing surfaces of at least one of the mount flange 44 and the bottom-panel support 30.

The container shell 14 is a foamed non-aromatic polymeric material including polypropylene or other suitable polymeric materials, such as Versalite® manufactured by Berry Plastics located at 101 Oakley Street, Evansville, IN. The container-support frame 12 provides stability for the container shell 14 to maintain a shape of the container shell 14.

In the illustrative embodiment, the container-support frame 12 includes a first polymeric formulation and a first density. The bottom panel 32 and the side panel 34 of the container shell 14 include a foamed sheet including a second polymeric formulation having a second density less than the first density. In some embodiments, the container-support frame 12 also has a greater rigidity and/or yield point compared to the container shell 14. In this way, the container-support frame 12 increases a rigidity of the container 11 while the container shell 14 increases thermal insulation of the container 11 so that the container can be gripped by a user without collapsing or fracturing the container shell 14 while the container shell 14 blocks transmission of heat to the user.

The first polymeric formulation and the second polymeric formulation each include at least one of polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or another suitable material. In some embodiments, the first polymeric formulation consists of polypropylene and the second polymeric formulation is primarily polypropylene based (i.e. greater than 50%). In some embodiments, the first and second polymeric formulations consist of one or more non-aromatic polymeric materials. In some embodiments, the container 11 consists of one or more non-aromatic polymeric materials. In some embodiments, the container 11 consists essentially of one or more non-aromatic polymeric materials. Containers consisting of or consisting essentially of polymeric materials are more recyclable than other containers that include both polymer materials and others (i.e. paper or cardboard) because it may be difficult to separate polymeric materials from those other materials during a recycling process.

The side panel 34 is attached to different regions of the lower support 22 and spaced apart from the bottom panel 32 as shown in FIGS. The side panel 34 includes an upper end 50 coupled with the upper support 18, a lower end 52 coupled with the lower support 22, a first circumferential end 54 coupled with a first portion of the sidewall support 20, and a second circumferential end 56 coupled with a second portion of the sidewall support 20. The upper end 50 has a greater length than lower end 52 and the first and second circumferential ends 54, 56 are angled relative to one another to provide the container 11 with a tapered sidewall when the side panel 34 is rolled around central axis 13 as suggested in FIG. 2.

The bottom panel 32 and the side panel 34 bond with portions of the container-support frame 12 during the process 200. The upper end 50 of the side panel 34 is coupled to an outer surface 60 of the upper skirt 27 facing away from the central axis 13. The lower end 52 of the side panel 34 is coupled to an outer surface 62 of the lower skirt 42 facing away from the central axis 13. The bottom panel 32 is coupled to a lower surface 64 of the mount flange 44 facing away from the upper support 18.

The container-support frame 12 and the container shell 14 are structured and sized relative to one another to provide flush and/or smooth surfaces the container 11 as shown in FIGS. 5-7. The floor 40 has an outer perimeter end 41 spaced apart from the outer surface 62 of the lower skirt 42 by a distance 70 and the side panel 34 has a thickness 72 that is about equal to the distance 70. In this way, an exterior surface of the container 11 transitions from the side panel 34 to the outer perimeter end 41 without providing any protruding or recessed portions of either the side panel 34 or the floor 40. The floor 40 is also spaced a distance 74 from an upper end 43 of the lower skirt 42 and the mount flange 44 is spaced a distance 76, less than the distance 74, from the upper end 43 of the lower skirt 42. The bottom panel 32 has a thickness 78 that is less than or equal to a distance 80 defined between the mount flange 44 and the floor 40 so that lower surface of the bottom panel resides at or above a lower surface of the floor 40.

The bottom panel support 30 coupled to the mount flange 44 and extends inward toward the central axis 13 from the mount flange 44. The bottom panel support 30 is coupled to an upper surface of the bottom panel 32 to reinforce the bottom panel 32 against deflection relative to the lower support 22. The bottom panel support 30 is cantilevered from the mount flange 44 and has a lower surface facing away from the upper support 18 and flush with a lower surface of the mount flange 44. The lower surfaces of the mount flange 44 and the bottom panel support 30 are arranged on a common plane to provide an attachment interface for the bottom panel 32 along the common plane.

The plurality of stack lugs 28 are configured to engage an upper support 18′ of a second insulative container 11′ stacked with the insulative container 11 to maintain spacing between the upper support 18 of the insulative container 11 and the upper support 18′ of the second insulative container 11′ as shown in FIG. 8. The plurality of stack lugs 28 includes a first stack lug 281 coupled to the sidewall support 20, a second stack lug 282 spaced circumferentially from the first stack lug 281, and a third stack lug 283 spaced circumferentially equal distances from the first stack lug 281 and the second stack lug 282. The first stack lug 281 is formed integrally with the sidewall support 20 and is at least partially supported thereby. The second stack lug 282 is cantilevered to the upper support 18 and extends downwardly from the upper support 18 toward the lower support 22. The third stack lug 283 is also cantilevered to the upper support 18 and extends downwardly from the upper support 18 toward the lower support 22.

Each of the stack lugs 281, 282, 283 includes a lug base 84 and a lug protrusion 86 coupled to the lug base 84 and extending outwardly away from the lug base 84 and away from the central axis 13 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7. The side panel 34 of the container shell 14 is formed to include a plurality of notches 88 in the upper end 50. The notches 88 provide spacing for each lug base 84 so that each lug base 84 extends radially through the container shell 14 and provides a portion of the exterior surface of the container 11 with the outer surface of the container shell 14. The lug protrusions 86 extend radially beyond the exterior surface of the container 11 and include a ledge 90 that engages the upper support 18′ of the second container 11′ as shown in FIG. 8.

The upper support 18 of the container 11 may further include a heat-seal ring 92 coupled to an upper surface of the brim 26 and extending annularly around the central axis 13 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The heat-seal ring 92 is raised from the upper surface of the brim 26 to provide an attachment region for the closure 100. Illustratively, the closure 100 includes a film that is heat-sealed to the heat-seal ring 92 by heat and pressure after the container 11 is filled with a product. In some embodiments, the lug protrusions 86 are sized to bear against the heat-seal ring 92 when stacked together to reside in spaced apart relation to the brim 26.

The sidewall support 20 extends downwardly from the upper skirt 27 and the first stack lug 281 to the lower skirt 42 and includes a support rib 94, a first support flange 96, and a second support flange 98 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7. The support rib 94 extends radially outward away from the central axis 13 and from the first support flange 96 and the second support flange 98. The first support flange 96 is coupled to a first circumferential side of the support rib 94 and extends in a first circumferential direction away from the support rib 94. The second support flange 98 is coupled to a second circumferential side of the support rib 94 and extends in a second circumferential direction away from the support rib 94 and the first support flange 96.

The first circumferential end 54 of the sidewall panel 34 is coupled to an outer surface of the first support flange 96. The second circumferential end 56 of the sidewall panel 34 is coupled to an outer surface of the second support flange 98. The support rib 94 resides circumferentially between the first and second circumferential ends 54, 56 of the sidewall panel 34 to space the first and second circumferential ends 54, 56 apart from one another.

The support rib 94 extends radially outward to provide a portion of the exterior surface of the container 11 with the side panel 32. The support rib 94 has an outer end spaced a distance 102 from the outer surface of the first support flange 96 and the outer surface of the second support flange 98. The thickness 72 of the side panel 34 is about equal to the distance 102 so that the exterior surface of the container 11 is smooth around the entire central axis 13. In some embodiments, the second circumferential end 56 of the sidewall panel 34 may be coupled to an outer surface of the first circumferential end 54 of the sidewall panel 34. In some embodiments, the support rib 94 can be omitted. The sidewall support 20 can include other structures spaced

circumferentially from the support rib 94 and the first and second support flanges 96, 98 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The sidewall support 20 further includes a first support tab 104 coupled to the upper skirt 27 and the second stack lug 282, and a second support tab 106 coupled to the upper skirt 27 and the third stack lug 283. If the stack lugs 28 are omitted, the first and second support tabs 104, 106 can be coupled only to the upper skirt 27. The first and second support tabs extend downwardly away from the upper support 18 and toward the lower support 22. The support tabs 104, 106 do not extend all the way to the lower support 22 in the illustrative embodiment, but may extend all the way to the lower support 22 and integrate with the lower skirt 42 in other embodiments.

The first support tab 104 borders the second stack lug 282 and has an outer surface facing away from the central axis 13 and engaged with the side panel 34. The second support tab 106 borders the third stack lug 283 and has an outer surface facing away from the central axis 13 and engaged with the side panel 34. The first and second support tabs 104, 106 block deflection of the side panel 34 relative to the central axis 13.

The container 11 may be formed by a process 200 including in-mold labeling to provide the container 11 with the container-support frame 12 for rigidity and the container shell 14 for insulation as shown in FIG. 9. The process 200 includes a step 202 of forming a foamed sheet 300 that is used during the process 200 to form the container shell 14. During the step 202, a polymeric formulation is heated and extruded from an extruder 302. A blowing agent in the form of a liquefied inert gas may be introduced into the molten polymeric formulation. Blowing agent may be either a physical or a chemical material (or a combination of materials) that acts to expand nucleation sites. The blowing agent acts to reduce density by forming cells in the molten resin. The foamed sheet 300 may initially be extruded in the form of a tube 304 and then slit to form the foamed sheet 300.

The process 200 may include a step 204 of laminating the foamed sheet 300 with an outer skin 306 to provide a multi-layer sheet 301 that is used to form the container shell 14. In the illustrative embodiment, the foamed sheet 300 is laminated with the outer skin 306 to provide multi-layer sheet 301 including the foamed sheet and one or more films and/or decoration on one or both sides of the foamed sheet, for example. The outer skin 306 can include one or more layers of different materials. In one example, the outer skin 306 includes film layer and an ink layer printed on the film layer. The film layer may be located between the foamed sheet and the ink layer.

In some embodiments, a polymeric lamination layer 308 can be extruded between the outer skin 306 and the foamed sheet to bond the outer skin 306 to the foamed sheet 300 during step 204. In some embodiments the outer skin 306 can include a barrier layer and one or more tie layers. For example, the outer skin 306 can have, in order, the polymeric-lamination layer 308 coupled to the foamed sheet 300, a tie layer, the barrier layer, a second tie layer, an outer film layer, and ink printed on the outer film layer. In such an example, the polymeric-lamination layer 308 and the outer film layer include the same material(s), such as polypropylene.

The process 200 further includes a step 206 of trimming the foamed sheet 300 (or the multi-layer sheet 301) to provide a side-panel preform 334 and a bottom-panel preform 332. The foamed sheet 300 and/or the multi-layer sheet 301 may consist of non-aromatic polymeric materials to increase recyclability so that portions of the sheet can be reclaimed and reused to form another foamed sheet 300.

The process 200 further includes a step 208 of inserting the side-panel preform 334 and the bottom-panel preform 332 into a mold cavity 312 of a mold 310. Once inserted, the side-panel preform 334 lines side surfaces of the mold cavity 312 while the bottom-panel preform 332 lines a bottom surface of the mold cavity 312.

The process 200 further includes a step 210 of injection molding the container-support frame 12 with the side-panel preform 334 and the bottom-panel preform 332 in the mold cavity 312 to form the container 11. The step 210 includes injecting a second polymeric formulation from a dispenser 314 into the mold cavity 312. The second polymeric formulation fills spaces defined by the mold 310 and/or the preforms 332, 334 to form the container-support frame 12. The second polymeric formulation bonds with the preforms 332, 334 during the step 210. The process 200 further includes heat sealing the closure 100 to the container 11 after the container 11 is filled with a product.

With reference to the thicknesses and distances discussed herein, the term about is used to account for minor manufacturing tolerances (i.e. 10%) that can occur while forming the container 11. For example, about equal can be within 10%.

The container shell 14 may be formed from a multi-layer sheet of insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material that includes, for example, a strip of insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material and printed film layer coupled to one side of the strip of insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, text and artwork or both can be printed on a film included in printed film layer. In some embodiments, the ink layer is applied to the film to locate the ink layer between the film and the strip of insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material. In another embodiment, the ink layer is applied to the film to locate film layer between the ink layer and the strip of insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material. As an example, the film layer may comprise biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP).

As an example, a polymeric formulation for forming insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material comprises a base resin blend comprising at least one high melt strength polypropylene and a polypropylene copolymer or homopolymer (or both). In some embodiments, the formulation may comprise cell-forming agents including a chemical nucleating agent, a physical nucleating agent, a physical blowing agent such as carbon dioxide, or a combination thereof. As a further example, insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material further comprises a slip agent. As an example, at least one polypropylene resin may have a broadly distributed unimodal (not bimodal) molecular weight distribution.

In some embodiments, the multi-layer sheet has a puncture resistance, as measured in max load for either a ¼″ probe or a ⅛″ probe. In some embodiments, the puncture resistance for multi-layer sheet (max load) is at least about 1,000 gf, at least about 3,000 gf, at least about 6,000 gf, at least about 8,000 gf, at least about 9,000 gf, or at least about 9,500 gf. In some embodiments, the puncture resistance for multi-layer sheet 80 (max load) is less than about 20,000 gf, less than about 18,000 gf, less than about 12,000 gf, or less than about 10,000 gf. In some embodiments, the puncture resistance for multi-layer sheet (max load) is in a range of about 1,000 gf to about 20,000 gf, about 1,000 gf to about 18,000 gf, about 1,000 gf to about 12,000 gf, about 3,000 gf to about 12,000 gf, about 6,000 gf to about 12,000 gf, about 7,000 gf to about 12,000 gf, about 7,000 gf to about 11,000 gf, about 8,000 gf to about 11,000 gf, about 8,000 gf to about 10,000 gf, or about 9,000 gf to about 10,000 gf.

In some embodiments, the multi-layer sheet or insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material has a thermal conductivity at 21° C. In some embodiments, the thermal conductivity at 21° C. is at least about 0.05 W/m-K or at least about 0.052 W/m-K. In some embodiments, the thermal conductivity at 21° C. is less than about 0.06 W/m-K, less than about 0.057 W/m-K, less than about 0.056 W/m-K, or less than about 0.053 W/m-K. In some embodiments, the multi-layer sheet or insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material has a thermal conductivity at 21° C. in a range of about 0.05 W/m-K to about 0.06 W/m-K, about 0.05 W/m-K to about 0.059 W/m-K, about 0.052 W/m-K to about 0.059 W/m-K, or about 0.054 W/m-K to about 0.057 W/m-K.

In some embodiments, the multi-layer sheet or insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material has a thermal conductivity at 93° C. In some embodiments, the thermal conductivity at 93° C. is at least about 0.061 W/m-K or at least about 0.062 W/m-K. In some embodiments, the thermal conductivity at 93° C. is less than about 0.065 W/m-K, less than about 0.064 W/m-K, or less than about 0.0642 W/m-K. In some embodiments, the multi-layer sheet or insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material has a thermal conductivity at 93° C. in a range of about 0.061 W/m-K to about 0.065 W/m-K, about 0.063 W/m-K to about 0.065 W/m-K, about 0.063 W/m-K to about 0.0645 W/m-K.

In some embodiments, the multi-layer sheet or insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material was tested using the Elmendorf test method described in ASTM D1922-93. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Arm machine direction (MD) for the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material is at least about 500 g. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Arm MD for multi-layer sheet is at least about 1500 g. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Arm MD for container 11 is at least about 1500 g. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Arm TD for insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material is at least about 500 g. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Arm TD for multi-layer sheet is at least about 1500 g. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Arm TD for container 11 is at least about 1500 g.

It is within the scope of the present disclosure that the density of the multi-layer sheet be up to about 0.25 g/cm3, up to about 0.2 g/cm3, up to about 0.18 g/cm3, up to about 0.16 g/cm3, up to about 0.14 g/cm3, up to about 0.13 g/cm3, or up to about 0.12 g/cm3. In some embodiments, the density of the multi-layer sheet is less than about 0.2 g/cm3, less than about 0.18 g/cm3, less than about 0.16 g/cm3, less than about 0.15 g/cm3, less than about 0.14 g/cm3, or less than about 0.13 g/cm3. The density of the multi-layer sheet may be about 0.01 g/cm3, about 0.03 g/cm3, about 0.05 g/cm3, about 0.06 g/cm3, about 0.07 g/cm3, about 0.08 g/cm3, about 0.09 g/cm3, about 0.1 g/cm3, about 0.11 g/cm3, about 0.12 g/cm3, about 0.13 g/cm3, about 0.14 g/cm3, about 0.15 g/cm3, about 0.16 g/cm3, about 0.18 g/cm3, about 0.2 g/cm3, or about 0.25 g/cm3. In a set of ranges, the density of the multi-layer sheet is one of the following ranges: about 0.01 g/cm3 to about 0.2 g/cm3, about 0.05 g/cm3 to about 0.19 g/cm3, about 0.05 g/cm3 to about 0.18 g/cm3, about 0.05 g/cm3 to about 0.17 g/cm3, about 0.1 g/cm3 to about 0.17 g/cm3, about 0.11 g/cm3 to about 0.17 g/cm3, or about 0.12 g/cm3 to about 0.16 g/cm3.

In some embodiments, the multi-layer sheet or insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material was tested using the Elmendorf test method described in ASTM D1922-93. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Tear MD for the multi-layer sheet or insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material is at least about 75 gf. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Tear MD for the multi-layer sheet or insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material is less than about 350 gf. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Tear MD for the multi-layer sheet is at least about 65 gf. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Tear MD for multi-layer sheet is less than about 700 gf. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Tear MD for multi-layer sheet is at least about 125 gf, at least about 200 gf, at least about 300 gf, or at least about 400 gf. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Tear MD for multi-layer sheet is less than about 700 gf, less than about 600 gf, less than about 500 gf. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Tear MD for multi-layer sheet is in a range of about 200 gf to about 700 gf, about 200 gf to about 600 gf, about 200 gf to about 500 gf, or about 300 gf to about 500 gf.

In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Tear transverse direction (TD) for multi-layer sheet is at least about 10 gf, at least about 50 gf, or at least about 125 gf. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Tear TD for insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material is less than about 450 gf. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Tear TD for multi-layer sheet is at least about 65 gf, at least about 100 gf, or at least about 200 gf. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Tear TD for multi-layer sheet is less than about 600 gf. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Tear TD for multi-layer sheet is at least about 200 gf, at least about 300 gf, or at least about 400 gf. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Tear TD for multi-layer sheet is less than about 700 gf, less than about 650 gf, or less than about 550 gf. In some embodiments, the Elmendorf Tear TD of container 11 is about 200 gf to about 700 gf, about 200 gf to about 600 gf, or about 300 gf to about 600 gf.

In exemplary embodiments, a polymeric formulation comprises a base resin blend comprising at least two materials. In some embodiments, the base resin blend comprises a first polymer and a second polymer. In some embodiments, the first polymer is a polypropylene. In some embodiments, the second polymer is a polypropylene. In some embodiments, the first polymer is a polypropylene and the second polymer is a polypropylene. In one exemplary embodiment, a first or second polypropylene polymer comprises a high melt strength polypropylene that has long chain branching. In one exemplary embodiment, the first or second polypropylene polymer also has non-uniform dispersity. In some embodiments, the first polypropylene polymer is a polypropylene homopolymer. In some embodiments, the second polypropylene is a polypropylene homopolymer. In some embodiments, the base resin blend comprises a first polypropylene homopolymer and a second polypropylene homopolymer.

In some embodiments, the base resin blend further comprises a third material. In some embodiments, the base resin blend comprises at least two high melt-strength polypropylenes. In some embodiments, the base resin blend comprises a first high melt-strength polypropylene, a second high melt-strength polypropylene, and a polypropylene copolymer. In some embodiments, the polypropylene copolymer is a high-crystallinity copolymer.

In some exemplary embodiments, the base resin blend may comprise polyethylene. In exemplary embodiments, the base resin blend may comprise low-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, ethylene-ethylacrylate copolymers, ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers, polymethylmethacrylate mixtures of at least two of the foregoing and the like. The use of non-polypropylene materials may affect recyclability, insulation, microwavability, impact resistance, or other properties.

It is within the scope of the present disclosure to select an amount of base resin blend of the polymeric formulation to be one of the following values: about 40%, about 45%, about 50%, about 55%, about 60%, about 65%, about 70%, about 75%, about 80%, about 85%, about 86%, about 87%, about 88%, about 89%, about 90%, about 91%, about 92%, about 93%, about 94%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, about 98%, about 99%, about 99.5%, and about 99.9% by weight of the polymeric formulation. It is within the present disclosure for the amount of base resin blend in the polymeric formulation to fall within one of many different ranges. In a first set of ranges, the range of base resin blend of the polymeric formulation is one of the following ranges: about 40% to about 99.9%, about 70% to about 99.9%, about 80% to about 99.9%, about 85% to about 99.9%, about 90% to about 99.9%, about 95% to about 99.9%, about 98% to about 99.9%, and about 99% to about 99.9% by weight of the polymeric formulation. In a second set of ranges, the range of base resin blend in the polymeric formulation is one of the following ranges: about 85% to about 99%, about 85% to about 98%, about 85% to about 95%, and about 85% to about 90% by weight of the polymeric formulation. In a third set of ranges, the range of base resin blend of the polymeric formulation is one of the following ranges: about 40% to about 99%, about 40% to about 95%, about 40% to about 85%, about 45% to about 85%, about 40% to about 80%, about 50% to about 80%, about 55% to about 80%, and about 60% to about 80% by weight of the polymeric formulation.

It is within the scope of the present disclosure to select an amount of the first polymer of the base resin blend to be one of the following values: about 30%, about 35%, about 40%, about 41%, about 42%, about 43%, about 44%, about 45%, about 50%, about 50%, about 55%, about 60%, about 65%, about 70%, about 75%, about 80%, about 81%, about 82%, about 83%, about 84%, about 85%, about 86%, about 87%, about 88%, about 89%, about 90%, about 91%, about 92%, about 93%, about 94%, about 95%, about 96%, about 97%, or about 99% by weight of the base resin blend. It is within the present disclosure for the amount of the first polymer of the base resin blend to fall within one of many different ranges. In a first set of ranges, the range of first polymer in the base resin blend is one of the following ranges: about 30% to about 99%, about 40% to about 99%, about 50% to about 99%, about 60% to about 99%, about 70% to about 99%, about 80% to about 99%, or about 85% to about 99.9% by weight of the base resin blend. In a second set of ranges, the range of first polymer in the base resin blend is one of the following ranges: about 40% to about 97%, about 40% to about 95%, about 40% to about 92%, or about 40% to about 90% by weight of the base resin blend. In a third set of ranges, the range of first polymer in the base resin blend is one of the following ranges: about 40% to about 95%, about 40% to about 90%, about 40% to about 80%, about 40% to about 70%, about 45% to about 70%, about 45% to about 60%, about 50% to about 95%, about 60% to about 95%, about 65% to about 95%, about 65% to about 92%, about 70% to about 92%, about 75% to about 92%, or about 80% to about 92% by weight of the base resin blend.

In illustrative embodiments, the base resin blend includes a second polymer. In some embodiments, the second polymer is a polyethylene. In some embodiments, the second polymer is a polypropylene. In some embodiments, the second polypropylene is a second polypropylene homopolymer. In some embodiments, the second polypropylene is a second polypropylene copolymer. In some embodiments, the second polypropylene is a second high melt-strength polypropylene. It is within the scope of the present disclosure to select an amount of the second polymer of the base resin blend to be one of the following values: about 1%, about 2%, about 3%, about 4%, about 5%, about 6%, about 7%, about 8%, about 9%, about 10%, about 11%, about 12%, about 13%, about 14%, about 15%, about 20%, about 25%, about 30%, about 35%, about 36%, about 37%, about 38%, about 39%, about 40%, about 41%, about 42%, about 43%, about 44%, about 45%, about 50%, or about 60% by weight of the base resin blend. It is within the present disclosure for an amount of the second polymer of the base resin blend to fall within one of many different ranges. In a first set of ranges, the range of base resin is one of the following ranges: about 1% to about 60%, about 1% to about 50%, about 1% to about 40%, about 1% to about 30%, about 1% to about 25%, about 1% to about 20%, about 1% to about 15%, about 1% to about 10%, or about 1% to about 5% by weight of the base resin blend. In a second set of ranges, the range of the second polymer of the base resin blend is one of the following ranges: about 1% to about 50%, about 10% to about 60%, about 15% to about 60%, about 20% to about 60%, about 30% to about 60%, about 35% to about 60%, or about 40% to about 60% by weight of the base resin blend. In a third set of ranges, the range of second polymer of the base resin blend is one of the following ranges: about 2% to about 60%, about 2% to about 50%, about 10% to about 50%, about 15% to about 50%, about 20% to about 50%, about 25% to about 50%, about 25% to about 45%, about 2% to about 40%, about 2% to about 30%, about 4% to about 30%, about 4% to about 25%, about 4% to about 20%, about 5% to about 20%, about 5% to about 20%, or about 5% to about 15% by weight of the base resin blend. In an embodiment, the base resin blend lacks a second polymer. In a particular embodiment, a second polypropylene can be a high crystalline polypropylene homopolymer.

In illustrative embodiments, the base resin blend includes a third polymer. In some embodiments, the third polymer is a polyethylene. In some embodiments, the third polymer is a polypropylene. In some embodiments, the third polypropylene is a polypropylene homopolymer. In some embodiments, the third polypropylene is a polypropylene copolymer. In some embodiments, the third polypropylene is a high crystallinity polypropylene copolymer. It is within the scope of the present disclosure to select an amount of the third polymer of the base resin blend to be one of the following values: about 1%, about 2%, about 3%, about 4%, about 5%, about 6%, about 7%, about 8%, about 9%, about 10%, about 11%, about 12%, about 13%, about 14%, about 15%, about 20%, about 25%, about 30%, or about 35% by weight of the base resin blend. It is within the present disclosure for an amount of the third polymer of the base resin blend to fall within one of many different ranges. In a first set of ranges, the range of base resin is one of the following ranges: about 1% to about 35%, about 1% to about 30%, about 1% to about 25%, about 1% to about 20%, about 1% to about 15%, about 1% to about 10%, or about 1% to about 8% by weight of the base resin blend. In a second set of ranges, the range of the third polymer of the base resin blend is one of the following ranges: about 2% to about 35%, about 3% to about 35%, about 4% to about 35%, about 5% to about 35%, about 6% to about 35%, about 7% to about 35%, or about 8% to about 35% by weight of the base resin blend. In a third set of ranges, the range of third polymer of the base resin blend is one of the following ranges: about 1% to about 25%, about 2% to about 25%, about 2% to about 20%, about 3% to about 20%, about 4% to about 20%, about 4% to about 15%, about 5% to about 15%, or about 5% to about 10% by weight of the base resin blend. In an embodiment, the base resin blend lacks a third polymer. In a particular embodiment, the third polymer can be a high crystalline polypropylene.

Claims

1. An insulative container comprising a container-support frame including an upper support extending around a central axis of the insulative container, a lower support spaced apart vertically from the upper support and extending around the central axis of the container, and a sidewall support interconnecting the upper support and the lower support and extending only partway around the central axis, anda container shell including a bottom panel coupled with the lower support and a side panel spaced apart from the bottom panel and having an upper end coupled with the upper support, a lower end coupled with the lower support, a first circumferential end coupled with a first portion of the sidewall support, and a second circumferential end coupled with a second portion of the sidewall support,wherein the container-support frame includes a first polymeric formulation and a first density and the bottom panel and the side panel of the container shell include a foamed sheet including a second polymeric formulation having a second density less than the first density.

2. The insulative container of claim 1, wherein the first polymeric formulation and the second polymeric formulation each include polypropylene.

3. The insulative container of claim 1, wherein the upper support includes a brim extending perpendicular to central axis and an upper skirt coupled to an inner end of the brim and extending downward away from the brim to couple with the upper end of the container shell.

4. The insulative container of claim 3, wherein the upper skirt has an inner surface facing toward the central axis and an outer surface facing away from the central axis, and the upper end of the container shell is attached to the outer surface of the upper skirt.

5. The insulative container of claim 4, wherein the lower support includes a floor, a lower skirt extending upwardly from the floor toward the upper support and coupled to the lower end of the side panel, and a mount flange extending inward toward the central axis and coupled to the bottom panel.

6. The insulative container of claim 5, wherein the lower skirt has an inner surface facing toward the central axis and an outer surface facing away from the central axis, and the lower end of the side panel is attached to the outer surface of the lower skirt.

7. The insulative container of claim 6, wherein the mount flange has an upper surface facing toward the upper support and a lower surface facing away from the upper support and the bottom panel is attached to the lower surface of the mount flange.

8. The insulative container of claim 5, wherein the floor has an outer perimeter spaced apart from the lower skirt by a first distance, and the side panel has a thickness that is about equal to the first distance.

9. The insulative container of claim 5, wherein the floor is spaced a first distance from an upper end of the lower skirt and the mount flange is spaced a second distance from the upper end of the lower skirt, the second distance being less than the first distance.

10. The insulative container of claim 9, wherein the bottom panel has a thickness that is less than or equal to a third distance defined between the mount flange and the floor.

11. The insulative container of claim 5, wherein the lower support further includes a bottom panel support coupled to the mount flange and extending inward toward the central axis from the mount flange to couple to an upper surface of the bottom panel and reinforce the bottom panel against deflection relative to the lower support.

12. The insulative container of claim 11, wherein the bottom panel support is cantilevered from the mount flange and has a lower surface facing away from the upper support flush with a lower surface of the mount flange.

13. The insulative container of claim 1, wherein the frame further includes a plurality of stack lugs coupled to the upper support and extending downwardly away from the upper support toward the lower support, the plurality of stack lugs configured to engage the upper support of a second insulative container stacked with the insulative container to maintain spacing between the upper support of the insulative container and an upper support of the second insulative container.

14. The insulative container of claim 13, wherein the plurality of stack lugs includes a first stack lug coupled to the sidewall support, a second stack lug spaced circumferentially from the first stack lug and cantilevered to the upper support, and a third stack lug spaced circumferentially equal distances from the first stack lug and the second stack lug and cantilevered to the upper support.

15. The insulative container of claim 1, wherein the sidewall support includes a support rib, a first support flange coupled to a first circumferential side of the support rib and extending in a first circumferential direction away from the support rib, and a second support flange coupled to a second circumferential side of the support rib and extending in a second circumferential direction away from the support rib opposite the first support rib.

16. The insulative container of claim 15, wherein the first circumferential end of the sidewall panel is coupled to an outer surface of the first support flange and the second circumferential end of the sidewall panel is coupled to an outer surface of the second circumferential end of the sidewall panel.

17. The insulative container of claim 16, wherein the support rib is located circumferentially between the first circumferential end and the second circumferential end of the sidewall panel and provides a portion of an exterior surface of the insulative container with the side panel.

18. The insulative container of claim 17, wherein the support rib has an outer end spaced a distance from the outer surface of the first support flange and the outer surface of the second support flange, and the sidewall panel has a thickness that is about equal to the distance.

19. The insulative container of claim 1, wherein the first and second polymeric formulations consist of one or more non-aromatic polymeric materials.

20. The insulative container of claim 19, wherein the container shell consists of the foamed sheet and an outer skin bonded to an outer surface of the foamed sheet, the outer skin including a film layer and an ink layer printed on the film layer.