INSERT FOR THERMALLY INSULATED CONTAINERS

Abstract

An insert for a thermally insulated container is provided, the insert comprising one or more panels made of a thermally conductive material. In an implementation, the panels may be reconfigured between a first, flat configuration and a second, erected configuration. In the second, erected configuration, the insert can be retrofitted to an existing thermally insulated container, to improve evenness in the internal temperature distribution.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of and priority to Great Britain Patent Application No. 2219119.1, filed on Dec. 16, 2022, in the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to an insert for thermally insulated containers and to related thermally insulated containers incorporating said insert. In particular, the present application relates to an insert for thermally insulated containers for improving temperature distribution inside the containers. The present application also relates to a corresponding method of retrofitting a thermally insulated container with such an insert.

BACKGROUND

Thermally Insulated containers are containers designed to maintain temperature within the container at as much of a constant level as possible, by preventing transfer of heat into or out of the container.

Box-like thermally insulated containers, often known as coolers or cool boxes, are commonly used within the domestic and leisure markets. Often, a cooling pack is placed inside the container to keep the temperature low. Such coolers traditionally comprise interior and exterior shells made of plastic, with a hard insulating foam provided between the shells.

Vacuum-insulated shipping containers are sometimes used within the commercial market for transport of heat-sensitive products, such as fresh produce. These are usually rectangular boxes lined with vacuum-insulated panels along each side of the container. The vacuum reduces heat exchange with the environment.

Whilst advances in the technology incorporated into the above containers have generally resulted into generally satisfactory insulation performance, far lower attention has generally been given by designers and manufacturers to the problem of temperature uniformity inside the containers. Accordingly, it is not uncommon for thermally insulated containers to be accompanied by instructions, or at least by indications or suggestions, on how to optimally pack such containers, by alternating, in the available internal volume, goods and temperature-control elements such as the above-mentioned cooling packs, or lose ice cubes.

Cylindrical vacuum-insulated containers, known as vacuum flasks, typically comprise interior and exterior shells of steel or sometimes glass, with a vacuum provided within the shells. Such containers do not include a filler material, with the shells themselves instead providing structural integrity. Smaller vacuum flasks are used domestically for keeping beverages warm or cool, whilst larger vacuum flasks are used for industrial purposes, such as storage of liquefied gases. Vacuum flasks have very good structural strength, and the liquids contained there inside allow heat exchange by conduction and convection and, therefore, in the context of this type of thermally insulated containers, temperature uniformity within the storage volume may not be an issue. In any case, these containers are only available in cylindrical shapes, restricting the applications in which this type of container can be used.

A need therefore exists for improving temperature distribution inside thermally insulated containers.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an insert is provided for a thermally insulated container, the insert comprising one or more panels made of a thermally conductive material. Disposing such an insert into a thermally insulated containers promotes temperature uniformity inside the container, due to the thermal conductivity of the panels, while saving space and improving the convenience and user-friendliness of the container.

The thermally conductive material may be metal, because metals are highly thermally conductive. Preferably, the conductive material is aluminium, due to its high thermal conductivity.

In a preferred arrangement, the panels are each in the form of an aluminium sheet.

Said aluminium sheet may have a uniform thickness, so that it can be manufactured from a single aluminium sheet.

A preferred range of sheet thicknesses is within about 0.5 to 3 millimeters; more preferably, within the range of about 1 to 2 millimeters, since these values have demonstrated to achieve good temperature uniformity within standard-sized containers.

One or more fixation devices may be provided, and they may be adapted to fix the insert inside the thermally insulated container. A preferred manner of fixing the insert inside the container is by fixing one or more of its side panels to one or more corresponding internal side walls of the thermally insulated container.

At least one side panel of the insert may comprise one or more features, such as recesses or openings, where these features may function as anchorage points for the disposition of one or more additional thermally conductive sub-inserts inside the thermally insulated container. These sub-inserts may be separate (additional) thermally conductive panels, dividers or receptacles—just as a number of examples. For ease of production, the openings in the main insert may be in the form of one or more perforations or slots, cut through the thickness of the material. Preferably, each side panel comprises a plurality of perforations, such that any additional thermally conductive panels (dividers or receptacles) may be disposed in more than one position inside the thermally insulated container.

In one arrangement, the main insert may be equipped with a pocket for holding a phase-change cooling material, such as ice. Said pocket could be made accessible by simply lifting a lid of the container. Accordingly, said pocket may comprise an upwardly facing opening or mouth for receiving the phase-change cooling material.

The pocket may advantageously also be made of a thermally conductive material, preferably a metal and more preferably aluminium. Even more preferably, the pocket may be made from the same aluminium sheet as the rest of the insert.

The pocket may be disposed in direct contact with one or more of said thermally conductive panels of the main insert, so as to maximize thermal exchange between the cooling material and the inside of the container, initially by conduction and then also by convection.

Although multiple, separate side panels may be provided, in arbitrary numbers, each of which may be independently accommodated inside the container, it may be convenient if the insert was formed from one or more thermally conductive panels, each comprising at least one fold line so that the conductive panel may be folded along said line to erect the insert in readiness for insertion into the container.

Accordingly, the insert may be reconfigured between a first, flat configuration (which may be, for example, a storage configuration, or a packaging configuration, in which the insert may be sold to the public) and a second, erected configuration; it is in this second, erected configuration that the insert can then be inserted into the container, or in other words, that it can be used as intended, thereby conveniently dressing, or lining, the internal surface of the container, or at least a portion thereof.

The exact shape of the insert will depend on the shape of the container to be retrofitted with the insert, naturally, but also from how many separate components may be desired at the design stage. Many existing thermally insulated containers are in the shape of square or rectangular boxes. Therefore, it may be advantageous to provide inserts wherein in the first, flat configuration, the insert comprises a base panel (which is provided to line the internal base of the container) and at least one side panel (to line a corresponding internal wall of the container) provided in the form of a depending foldable tab, wherein a fold line is provided between said base panel and said at least one depending side-panel tab. The foldable tab can be realized in may different manners, as it will be appreciated by the skilled person.

In particular, it would be advantageous to obtain the insert from one and only one thermally conductive panel, such as from a single metal sheet, and to then be able to customize the insert to any specific container model. Accordingly, in the first, flat configuration, the insert may be provided in the shape of a cross defined by a base panel and four side panels provided in the form of respective, depending foldable tabs, wherein a total of four fold lines are provided between said base panel and said depending side-panel tabs. In this case, it would be possible, for example, to advantageously dress the inside surface of a container (completely or at least partially) starting from a single sheet of a thermally conductive metal, such as aluminium. Further, the ability for the user to choose where to fold the foldable tabs may be provided for, such that at one insert at the production stage may then be fitted to more than ne container model, depending on how the tabs are folded around fold lines selected by the user.

According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, a container is also provided comprising an insert as described herein. The insert may be removed from the container, for example for washing the insert and/or the container after use.

According to yet a further aspect of the present disclosure, the use of an insert is also provided as described herein in combination with a thermally insulated container. The insert and the container may be separable; alternatively, the insert may be irremovably installed in the container.

According to yet a further aspect of the present disclosure, a method of retrofitting a thermally insulated container is also provided, the method comprising the step of fitting an insert as described herein to the thermally insulated container.

Depending on the preferred implementation of the insert, said fitting may comprise one or more operations including:

• • (a) erecting an erectable insert as described herein; and/or,
  • (b) fixing an insert to the inner surface, and preferably to one or more of the internal side walls, of the container, as described herein; and/or,
  • (c) adding at least one sub-insert to the insert as described herein, for example in the shape of an additional thermally conductive panel, a divider or a receptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Illustrative implementations will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a cross section of a thermally insulated container according to the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a first thermally insulated container as described herein, comprising a first insert therefor as also described herein;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a second thermally insulated container as also described herein, comprising a second insert therefor as also described herein; and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the second insert referred to in connection with FIG. 3, in a flat configuration.

Throughout the description and drawings, like reference numerals will be used to refer to like features.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a thermally insulated container 1 according to the prior art. The thermally insulated container 1 comprises a body 2 and a lid 3. The body 2 and the lid 3 fit together accordingly creating an interface 21, also shown in FIG. 1, by means of mechanical fastenings (not shown). The primary function of the thermally insulated container 1 is to maintain as well as possible (as there will inevitably be a small degree of heat exchange with the outside environment) the temperature of an internal air volume 4 of the insulated container 1, for a period of time, independent of the temperature of the external ambient environment 5.

When contents (for example contents to be maintained at a chilled temperature, such as fresh produce—not shown in FIG. 1) are stored in the internal volume 4 made available by the container body 2, the function of the container 1 is, naturally, that of maintaining as well as possible the temperature of such contents. To achieve the required temperature in the internal volume 4 and throughout the contents stored therein, often the containers 1 are accompanied by packing instructions, wherein the provision of a relatively large (compared to the overall available volume 4) quantity of ice blocks may be prescribed. FIG. 1 shows that the volume 4b initially occupied by the ice blocks may be greater than the remainder of the volume 4a, occupied by the contents.

Whilst the ice blocks may be disposed on the internal bottom surface 9 of the container, as shown in FIG. 1, it is generally recommended that the ice blocks be interspersed between the various, different content items (not shown), in the interest of achieving a level of temperature uniformity inside the container volume 4, once that the container lid 3 has been closed over the container body 2. Packing the container 1 can therefore be rather difficult. Furthermore, the disposition of the ice blocks may not be satisfactory enough to achieve a good temperature uniformity inside the container 1. The presently proposed solution has been devised to improve temperature uniformity inside the container volume 4 when items are stored therein.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the container body 2 and lid 3 are both constructed with a multi-layered wall construction comprising an external shell 6, a core 7 and an internal shell 8. The internal and external shells 6, 8 are usually made of a thin, polymeric material. In some existing implementations, the internal and/or external shells may comprise metal. The internal and external shells 6, 8 will generally have thicknesses ranging from fractions of a millimeter to a few millimeters and will generally contribute to the structural integrity of the container 1. The core 7 is usually constructed with a porous material that also provides mechanical structure. Closed cell expanded polyurethane foam may for example be used for the core 7. The sealing interface 21 between the container lid 3 and the container body 2 is formed by corresponding mating surfaces 21a, 21b of the lid and container body, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Heat transfer by means of conduction and convection between the external environment 5 and internal storage space 4 of the container is kept low due to the combination of low thermal conductivity shell material, core insulation material and core insulation thickness. However, the choice of a shell material with low thermal conduction with the function of reducing heat transfer between the inner volume 4 of the container 1 and the outside environment 5, does not necessarily result into a good level of uniformity in the internal temperature distribution, particularly when items which may initially be at different temperatures are simultaneously stored inside the container 1. Among such items, there may be phase change material modules, such as ice packs, which will be initially at temperatures around or below 0 degrees Celsius. Other items may have different temperatures, at least initially.

To reduce the persistence of zones maintaining different temperatures within the inner volume 4 of the container 1, the present disclosure sets forth a removable, thermally conductive insert for thermally insulated containers 1. The inventors have identified that thermally insulated containers 1 that have a metallic lining facilitate relatively uniform temperature distributions among different items stored in the container 1, whilst using a single or centralized phase-change material location, thus, without the user having to follow burdensome packing instructions or strategies. However, thermally insulated containers with metal lining are commercially high-end and are often relatively expensive to buy. Furthermore, these represent a small minority of all thermally insulated containers in the market. On the other side, very many thermally insulated containers 1 currently being used or on sale in the market do not have a built-in metal lining, and it is now proposed that such containers could be fitted or retrofitted with a thermally conductive insert 10 as disclosed herein, to promote temperature uniformity, in use, in the container 1.

With reference now to FIG. 2, a first insert 10 is shown, in an in-use configuration. The insert comprises a total of up to five (though fewer or even more could be provided) separate, separable and initially independent thermally conductive panels 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, each made of a thermally conductive metal, which, in this case, is aluminium. In this configuration, each panel is cut from an aluminium sheet of 1.5 millimeters. However, different metals and different thicknesses are of course possible, depending on the thermal conductive performance to be achieved (this is a parameter that may be set during the design of the insert 10, for any given containers 1). Further, it is not necessary that the five (or other number) panels 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e have the same thickness, nor that the thickness be uniform within each panel 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e.

The panels 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e ‘dress’ or ‘line’ the internal surface of the container body 2 which defines the internal volume 4 of the container 1—in this case completely, but, again, this is not a necessary feature, as the side panels 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, could alternatively extend to half or another portion of the internal container depth. Also, the two short side panels 10b, 10d could, for example, be omitted, thereby obtaining a U-shaped lining 10a, 10c, 10e of the container 1. The base panel 10e may first be inserted, then followed by the four side panels 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, although the order of insertion is not important. The thermally conductive panels 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e efficiently and rapidly tend to equalize the temperatures in the metal; from there, by conduction and in addition by convection, temperature uniformity is facilitated inside the internal volume 4 of the container 1, and therefore between the cooled items (not shown) thereinside.

An optional phase change material (PCM) module (not shown in FIG. 2) may be added to the bottom of the container 1, just below the base panel 10e, which functions as a thermal energy bank. However, similarly, cooling packs may be added directly inside the internal volume 4. When the module is provided (one is shown in FIG. 3 in the form of a pocket 12 for holding ice), direct contact between the PCM module and at least one of the metal panels 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e provides fast transfer of thermal energy between the internal volume 4 of the container 1 and the PCM module 12 by means of conduction initially along the aluminium insert 10 and subsequently heat convection into the internal volume 4. As explained above, it is this efficient energy transfer which results into a more even temperature distribution within the internal volume 4.

Turning now the attention to FIG. 3, a second insert 10 is shown. The parts and configurations (including, for example, the alternative U-shaped configuration of the insert 10) already described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 will not be described again, but all the considerations made above will equally apply to FIG. 3. Attention is instead being paid to the differences between the insert 10 of FIG. 2 and that of FIG. 3. The insert 10 of FIG. 3 is erected from a single, in this case cross-shaped, aluminium sheet of uniform thickness (shown in FIG. 4 in its initial configuration), comprising a central base panel 10e and four side panels 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d formed as depending tabs separated from the central base panel 10e by respective fold lines 14. The fold lines 14 are in this case obtained by locally reduced thickness of the aluminium sheet, but may equally be formed in different manners, such as through the placement of one or more through-hole slots in the sheet, forming a fold line 14. However, hinges could alternatively or additionally have been used.

Another notable difference compared to the insert 10 seen in FIG. 2 is the presence of various cut-outs 13 in the side panels 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d. In the insert 10 of FIG. 3, these cut-outs 13, which take the shape of round, rectangular or oval perforations of the aluminium sheet, can be randomly disposed and may have the function of making the insert 10 lighter. This can be done, for example, if these perforations 13, which correspond to removal of conductive material from the insert 10, do not adversely affect the thermal conductivity performance of the insert 10 required to achieve the desired temperature uniformity.

Additionally or alternatively, these openings 13 can be used as anchor points for the accommodation and disposition in the container volume 4 of one or more additional panels (not shown), which can work, for example, as additional thermally conductive partitions or shelves (not shown), which may be used to better organize the space 4 in the container 1, while promoting heat diffusion and thus temperature uniformity. In the case of using the perforations 13 as anchor points, a geometric pattern of perforations may be preferred, rather than the random scheme shown in FIG. 3 (and in FIG. 4). Likewise, to this aim, the anchor points may be provided differently, for example in the shape of recesses or protrusions. The skilled person would be able to provide suitable variations, which may be dictated by the manner of connection between the insert 10 and the one or more sub-inserts. If preferred, non-thermally conductive dividers may be provided as sub-inserts—and the choice will depend on the particular application of the insert 10.

Another notable difference of the insert 10 shown in FIG. 3 compared to the insert 10 seen in FIG. 2 is, as mentioned above, the presence of a receptacle or pocket 12, for a cooling medium, such as ice. This receptacle or pocket 12 is another example of sub-insert or accessory that can be added to the main insert 10, which is in addition to any thermally conductive or non-thermally conductive divider or partitions, such as vertical dividers or horizontal shelves (not shown).

FIG. 4 shows the insert of FIG. 3 in an initial, flat configuration. This configuration may be, for example, the manufacturing configuration, that is how the insert 10 comes out from a production line, ready for packaging for onward sale to the public. CNC machines may suitably be used to make the thermally conductive metal panels 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e having the required mechanical characteristics and tolerances. The insert 10 of FIG. 4 is erected in the configuration shown in FIG. 3, and the insert 10 is then installed, or simply placed, as the case may be, inside the container volume 4, as shown. Installation may be permanent, nonpermanent (i.e. the insert 10 may be fully removable), or semi-permanent. The container 1 of FIG. 3, for example, shows fixation devices 11 which may be used to affix the side panels 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d against respective internal container walls 8. These devices 11, or similar devices, may be used also in connection with the insert 10 of FIG. 2.

Interestingly, the negative rectangular spaces 15 shown in FIG. 4 might correspond to aluminium (or other material) that has been removed for providing four corresponding thermally conductive sub-inserts. This provides for optimum material utilization.

In an alternative arrangement, the openings or perforations 13 seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 may encompass all the insert 10 rather than being provided only on the side panels 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d. Since openings or perforations may also be used to create fold lines 14, as discussed above, then provision may be made for the user to fold the initially flat insert 10 according to one or more fold lines 14 of choice, which may provide increased adaptability of the insert 10 to different container models.

The present application, therefore, encompasses inserts 10 as described herein but also containers 1 comprising such inserts 10, whether installed in the containers 1 as new, or at a later point, that is retrofitted.

The present application thus brings about substantial improvements in terms of heat management for containers that may otherwise be not capable of achieving satisfactory thermal performance.

Further, promoting thermal uniformity inside the containers 1 may often result into a longer life of the stored product.

Another advantage is that the inserts 10 described herein may make more space 4a available inside the containers 1 for the user to store items to be cooled; in other words, less ice (or equivalent material) may be needed to effectively cool the contents for a predetermined period of time.

LIST OF REFERENCES

• • 1 Thermally insulated container
  • 2 Container body
  • 3 Contained lid
  • 4 Internal volume of container
  • 4 a Internal volume available for goods storage
  • 4 b Internal volume filled by ice (or equivalent medium)
  • 5 Outside environment
  • 6 Container outer shell
  • 7 Container core
  • 8 Container inner shell
  • 9 Internal container base
  • 10 Insert
  • 10 a First side panel
  • 10 b Second side panel
  • 10 c Third side panel
  • 10 d Fourth side panel
  • 10 e Base panel
  • 11 Insert fixation device
  • 12 Insert pocket
  • 13 Insert opening
  • 14 Insert fold line
  • 15 Negative rectangular space
  • 21 Interface
  • 21 a Container lid mating surface
  • 21 b Container body mating surface

Claims

1. An insert for a thermally insulated container, the insert comprising one or more panels made of a thermally conductive material.

2. The insert of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive material is aluminium.

3. The insert of claim 1, wherein the panels are each in the form of an aluminum sheet.

4. The insert of claim 19, wherein the sheet thickness is within the range 0.5 to 3 millimeters.

5. The insert of claim 1, further comprising one or more fixation devices adapted to fix the insert inside the thermally insulated container.

6. The insert of claim 1, wherein at least one side panel of said one or more panels comprises one or more openings in the form of one or more perforations or slots.

7. The insert of claim 6, wherein said one or more side panel openings are configured as attachment locations for the disposition of one or more additional thermally conductive panels inside the thermally insulated container.

8. The insert of claim 1, wherein the insert comprises a pocket for holding a phase-change cooling material, such as ice, and wherein said pocket is also made of a thermally conductive material.

9. The insert of claim 8, wherein said pocket is disposed in contact with one or more of said thermally conductive panels.

10. The insert of claim 8, wherein said pocket comprises an upwardly facing opening for receiving the phase-change cooling material, which opening is configured to be accessible when a lid of the container is opened.

11. The insert of claim 1, wherein one or more of the thermally conductive panels each comprise at least one fold line.

12. The insert of claim 11, wherein the insert comprises one and only one thermally conductive panel.

13. The insert of claim 1, wherein the insert is adapted to be reconfigured between a first, flat configuration and a second, erected configuration, wherein in the second, erected configuration the insert is provided in readiness for insertion into the thermally insulated container.

14. The insert of claim 13, wherein in the first, flat configuration, the insert comprises a base panel and at least one side panel provided in the form of a depending foldable tab, wherein a fold line is provided between said base panel and said at least one depending side-panel tab.

15. The insert of claim 14, wherein in the first, flat configuration, the insert is in the shape of a cross defined by said base panel and four side panels provided in the form of respective, depending foldable tabs, wherein a total of four fold lines are provided between said base panel and said depending side-panel tabs.

16. A container comprising an insert according to claim 1.

17. A method of retrofitting a thermally insulated container, the method comprising the step of fitting an insert according to claim 1 to the thermally insulated container.

18. (canceled)

19. The insert of claim 3, wherein said aluminum sheet has a uniform thickness.

20. The insert of claim 5, wherein the one or more fixation devices are adapted to fix the insert to one or more internal side walls of said thermally insulated container.

21. The insert of claim 6, wherein each side panel comprises a plurality of perforations.

22. The insert of claim 8, wherein the pocket material is a metal, such as aluminum.