Patent Application
20090283578
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a “green”, temperature-controlled mailer that is fully (100%) biodegradable.
2. Prior Art
The current technology provides paper mailers, lined with plastic bubble-wrap, or more expensive foam, or foam-lined, boxes. These products are used primarily for shipping sensitive or fragile items, but suffer from the fact that they have extremely limited cushioning, no absorption properties, no antimicrobial properties and practically no temperature-control value.
Foam, or foam-lined, boxes are also used for shipping temperature-sensitive products, such as, medical samples, pharmaceuticals, chocolates, etc. These current products, in addition to being dramatically more expensive to purchase, warehouse, and ship (in-bound and outbound freight), they are also more labor intensive, less user-and-environmentally friendly, and provide very limited protection during transit.
The principal object of the invention is to provide a 100% biodegradable temperature-controlled mailer.
The novel mailer of the present invention may be used as a stand-alone shipper, or it may be used as an internal package that maintains a properly cold temperature in a larger, non-refrigerated box. Savings are realized from the utilization of the novel mailer of the present invention in terms of a) initial cost, as opposed to a foam-lined box; b) set-up/fulfillment labor expenses; c) storage space, with attendant costs and; d) in-bound and out-bound freight charges.
The foregoing is accomplished by a mailer that is composed of materials that are 100% biodegradable. The outer surface of the novel mailer consists of a biodegradable film or paper that is also waterproof. The inner surface of the novel mailer is a biodegradable film or paper (substrate) that is permeable. Sandwiched between the inner biodegradable film or paper (substrate), and sealed on all sides, is a novel, proprietary, biodegradable, pad made from re-cycled, purified, ground-up material, to which super absorbent powders (for the absorption of spills), and antimicrobial powders (for the prevention of contamination in case of rupture for such products as blood or vaccines, etc.) have been added during manufacture. The antimicrobials are programmed to expire, after a pre-selected desired length of time, to allow for the eventual, natural, degradation/biodegradability of the novel mailer. The outer surface of the novel pad is encompassed with a water-proof, biodegradable film or paper, sealed on two (or three) sides and is double-sealed, with pressure-sensitive, biodegradable tape, at the top, for safety and to prevent tampering. Phase-change materials (refrigerants/gel packs) used in the novel mailer are also biodegradable, making the entire shipping system safer, dramatically more cost-effective, user-friendly, environmentally-friendly, and socially-responsible.
The novel pad serves six vital purposes: 1) Insulation; 2) padding/cushioning; 3) absorption; 4) antimicrobial action; 5) biodegradability and; 6) cost efficiency (in terms of initial cost, as opposed to a foam-lined box, set-up/fulfillment labor expenses, storage space, with attendant charges, and in-bound and out-bound freight charges).
The insulative properties of the novel mailer are roughly equivalent to one-half inch of foam, thus, allowing for the savings of second-day shipping as opposed to the cost of overnight priority freight/delivery charges as is required with current mailer technology.
Other and further objects of the present invention will be come apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings.
Referring now to the drawings, the novel mailer is shown in
The inner surface of the novel mailer 10 is a non-petroleum based, biodegradable film or paper (substrate) 14 that is permeable. Sandwiched between the inner biodegradable film or paper (substrate) 14 and the outer film 12, and sealed on all sides, is a novel, proprietary, biodegradable, pad 16 made from re-cycled, purified, ground-up material, to which super absorbent powders (for the absorption of spills), and antimicrobial powders (for the prevention of contamination in case of rupture for such products as blood or vaccines, etc.) have been added during manufacture. The antimicrobials are programmed to expire, after a pre-selected desired length of time, to allow for the eventual, natural, degradation/biodegradability of the novel mailer. The outer surface of the novel pad 16 is encompassed within the water-proof, biodegradable film or paper 12, sealed on two (or three) sides with film 14, which extends laterally coextensive with film 12. The film 14 is double-sealed, with pressure-sensitive, biodegradable tape 18 (covered with a protective strip 34, at the top, for safety and to prevent tampering). Film 14 does not surround the pad 16 completely but the end portions 40 extend around the pad 16 sufficiently to enable the end portions 40 to be sealed with the film 12, as indicated at 44.
As shown in
The pad 16, as duly noted, is made from re-cycled, purified, ground-up material, to which super absorbent powders (for the absorption of spills), and antimicrobial powders (for the prevention of contamination in case of rupture for such products as blood or vaccines, etc.) have been added during manufacture. The antimicrobials are programmed to expire, after a pre-selected desired length of time, to allow for the eventual, natural, degradation/biodegradability of the novel mailer.
As evident from the above description, the pad 16 is covered by the film 14 on the inside with film 14 extending laterally beyond the pad 16 to lie coextensive with the marginal edges of the film 12 so all marginal edges can be heat sealed together. Film 14 extends around the longitudinal extremities of the pad 16 so that the end portions 40 of the film 14 lie between the pad 16 and the outer film 12 when the pad 16 is located in the mailer 10. These portions 40 enable the film 14 to be heat sealed together with the film 12 around the mailer opening 24 thereby entrapping the pad 16. The portion of the opening 24 that lies with the flap 26 has the pressure-sensitive, biodegradable tape 18 (covered with a protective strip 34) in order to seal the top edges of the inner film 14 together before the flap 26 is sealed to the front of the mailer 10.
Phase-change materials (refrigerants/gel packs) used in the novel mailer are also biodegradable, making the entire shipping system cost-effective, environmentally-friendly, and socially-responsible.
The novel pad serves six vital purposes: 1) Insulation; 2) padding/cushioning; 3) absorption; 4) antimicrobial action; 5) biodegradability and; 6) cost efficiency (in terms of initial cost, as opposed to a foam-lined box, set-up/fulfillment labor expenses, storage space, with attendant charges, and in-bound and out-bound freight charges).
The insulation properties of the novel mailer are roughly equivalent to one-half inch of foam, thus, allowing for the savings of second-day shipping as opposed to the cost of overnight priority freight/delivery charges as is required with current mailer technology.
A specific example of a mailer according to the present invention is one that is 14.5 inches long, 10 inches wide and has a 4.5 inch flap. The top opening is about 8.5 inches across and can be opened to about 5 inches thereby facilitating loading.
Examples of the materials used for the novel mailer are as follows. Tri-extruded degradable sheeting can be used as a film. The film is manufactured as 37″ lay flat at 0.004 inches. Grass green, opaque tri-extruded degradable sheeting can be used for film 14. The sheeting is manufactured with a degradable additive in all layers. The film manufactured is 12″ lay flat at 0.0015 inches. For the film 12, a white opaque outside/silver-color inside tri-extruded degradable sheeting can be used. The sheeting is manufactured with a degradable additive in all layers. The film is manufactured as 12″ lay flat at 0.004 inches. The films are obtainable commercially from a variety of suppliers.
An example of the sealing tape 18 is BP-1052 SIS block co-polymer rubber, obtainable from DarTape Technologies Corporation. Biodegradable materials are commercially available from ECM Biofilms, Inc., Painesville, Ohio. Incorporation of at least 1% of the ECM Masterbatch pellets will assure biodegradation. Antimicrobial materials useable are Lurol AM-7 obtainable from Goulston Technologies, Inc. of Monroe, N.C. The pad 16 was made using new textile clippings mixed with commercially available antimicrobial and super-absorbent powders (such as carboxymethylcellulose) and then processed through a web forming operation to produce a pad or batten about 15 mm or 0.6 inches thick. Film 12 can be from about 2 mils thick to about 6 mils thick, and preferably about 4 mils thick. Film 14 can be from about 0.5 mils thick to about 5 mils thick, and preferably about 3 mils thick. Pad 16 can be from about 5 mm thick to about 25 mm thick and preferably about 15 mm thick.
Although the invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, changes can be made which do not depart from the inventive concept. Such changes are deemed to fall within the purview of the appended claims.
