US2927720A

US2927720A - Portable insulated container

Info

Publication number: US2927720A
Application number: US776775A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert K Adams
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-11-28
Filing date: 1958-11-28
Publication date: 1960-03-08
Anticipated expiration: 1977-03-08

Description

March 8, 1960 R. k. ADAMS PORTABLE INSULATED CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 28, 1958 INVENTOR. Eaberzli flak/725,.

March 8, 1960 R. K. ADAMS PORTABLE INSULATED CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 28, 1958 L I 1& i

United States Patent.

PORTABLE INSULATED CONTAINER Robert K. Adams, Chicago, 1]]. Application November 28, 1958, Serial No. 77 6,775 Claims. cl. 229-14 that-is of alightweight construction andis readily port ble "Another object of the invention is to provide an insulated container that may be constructed of a variety of materials but in particular of cardboard of some other paper material. i i I @Another object of the invention is to provide an insulated container that is relatively inexpensive so. that it may be discarded after a single use or only'a few uses.

:Another object of the invention is to provide a container that will insulate its contents from the ambient temperature and maintain them at a given temperature for a:considerable period of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container that may be attractively decorated so that it is readily commerciable.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent upon reading of the specification with reference to the following drawings:

. 'In the drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of the con- 1 tainer embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 with some of. the parts removed for purposes of clarification.

, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the lid used in the construction of the container shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the inner casing used in the construction of the container. 3

Figure 5 is a plan view of one form of the blank from which the outer casingrnay be constructed.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the container shown in Figure 1. e

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along lines 77 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a sectional Figurel.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the blank from which the side walls of the inner casing maybe constructed.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the blank from which the bottom of the inner casing may be constructed.

Figure 11 is a plan view of the blank from which the lidmay be constructed. I

Figure 12 is asegmentalview in section of the container in greater detail. 1

Figure 13 is a plan view of a blank from which a modified form of the outer casing may be constructed.

It will be apparent upon reading of the specification that the various elements comprising the container other than the insulation, bails, staples, and the like, may be fabricated from numerous materials. However, the ele= view taken along lines 8-8 in ice ments are particularly suited for construction frompape'p like materials, especially corrugated cardboard, which is relatively inexpensive, and consequently, expendable ma-' terial. These elements are so designed that they may be assembled from blanks which are precut from a single sheet of material and-scored so as to facilitate the assembly of the box. The score lines generally face inwardly so that there are no open or raw edges presented on the outside surfaces of the container. The fastening "means used for securing various flaps and edges of the is generally rectangular in shape and is provided With-- the wire bails 18. The lid 16 is of the same general cross-sectional shape as the outer casing and is adapted to be received therein so as to provide a substantially airtight seal, as will be explained in greater detail later on;

Referring now to Figure 5, there is shown one formof the blank from which the outer casing 12' may be con-- structed. The blank 24 consists of a single sheet of card.- board or the like, suitably scored so as to formthe various elements of the outer casing. The side panels 26,

28, 30, 32, and 34, are separated by the vertical score lines 36. The

end side panels

26 and 34 are triangular .1 in shape and co-operate to forma completed side such as that formed by the panels 28, '30, and 32, as can be seen in Figure 1. diagonal edges of the

end side panels

26 and 34 and are separated therefrom by the score line 40. The flap members 38 are folded inwardly and staple together to hold the sides in their folded position, as shown in Figure 8.

A plurality of

flap members

26a, 28a, 30a, and 32a are separated from their respective associated side panels 26 to 32 by means of the horizontal score line 42. The flap members 26a to 32a are triangular in shape and are folded inwardly to form the bottom of the outer casing 12. lThe

triangular members

44 and 46 depend from. each of the flap members and may or maynot be-sepa-;'

rated therefrom by the

score lines

48 and 50. When the flap members 26a to 32a are folded inwardly as shownin Figure 6 to form the bottom of the container, the

triangular members

44 and 46 extend under adjacent flap .members so that the flap members are held in interlockentrant position along their associated respective side panels 28 to 34, as shown in Figure 7. By folding the panel members 28b to 3412 in this manner, all raw or cut edges are eliminated at the top of the container. The panel members 28b to 34b further serve to position the inner casing with respect to the outer casing, as will beseen later on. The

tabs

54 and 56 co-operate with the, inner casing 14 so as to hold the associated panel mern hers 28b to 34b in their re-entrant positions.

Referring now to Figure .9, the inner casing 1'4 64, and 66 of the inner casing 14 are formed by the vertical score lines 68. The flap members 70 are provided, on each end of the blank 58 and arefolded outwardly and stapled together, aswshown in Figure 8. The horizontal score lines 72 separate the

panels

60a, 62a, 64a, and

66a, from the associated side panels 60 to 66. Each of the panels 60a to 66a'are provided. with the. uott;l l ed Patented Mar. 8, 1960 A flap member 38 depends from'ther is, formed in part from the blank 58 consisting of a single sheet of cardboard or the like. The side panels.60,62,

3 portiohs'Ttandare folded outwardly as shown in Figure The flap members 6011 through 66a position the sides 60 through 66 of the inner casing 14 and atthe. same time hold"th'e panels 2812 through 3412 in their re-entrant positions. Thenotched portions 74 receive the tabs:56' of. thepanelszsb'to 3412 as shown inFigure 7. The corners formed by the fiap members 60a to 66a are open so that the tabs-54 on the

panels

28b and 32b are received there in. The free edges of thepanels 28b to 34b other than the tabs 54 and 56rest on the panels 60a to 66a. In this manner the panels 28b to 34b when in their reentrant position secure the inside casing 14 within the outside. casing 12.

The bottom 76 f the inside casing 14: is formed from the blank-78 consisting of a single sheet of cardboard or the like. The bottom panel 80 is formed by the scorelines 82 which separate it from the

flaps

86, 88, 90, and 92. The flaps- 86 to 92am folded downwardly. and lie in substantially co-extensive and substantially touching relationship with the sides 60 to 66 of the inner casing 14. The flaps 86 through 92 may be secured by some suitable means such as staples or adhesive to the associated sides of the inner casing 14.

As was-mentioned previously, thesides of the inner casing 14 are spaced from the sides of the outer casing 12 in the manner shown in Figure 7. In its preferred embodiment a fiber glass batting 94 is placed between the sides ofthe outer casing and the inner casing. The fiber glass batting 94 is also placed between the bottom panel 80 and the bottom of-theouter casing 12. In this manner, it is possible to insulate the contents of the container from the ambient temperature'on all four sides and'on the bottom.

The bails 18 may consist'of the wire struts 20 which are secured at one end to the outer casing 12 between the

re-entrant panels

28b and 32b and the associated

sides

28 and 32, so as to eliminate any tendency to pull out. The other ends of the struts 20 are aifixed to the tubular cardboard members 22 which furnish a suitable handle. It should be pointed'out that other forms of construction may be'used-for the bails 18.

Referring now to Figure 1 1, there is shown a blank 98 consisting of a single sheet of cardboard or the like from which the lid 16 may be constructed. The blank 98 includes the panel Nil-formed by the double score lines 102. The

fiap members

106, 108, 110, and 112 depend from the panel'member 100 along the score lines 102. The fi'ap'members 106 through 112 are folded inwardly to form the bottom panel 114 of the lid 16. The tab members 116 which depend from each of the flap members 106 through 112, extend under adjacent flap members so as to hold them in interlocking engagement. This interlocking construction is substantially the same as that of the bottom of the outer casing 12 and can be readily seen in Figure 6. As mentioned previously, this arrangement eliminates the necessity of any auxiliary fastening means such as staples, rivets, or the like.

When the various elements of the lid are folded into their respective positions, thelid is formed into a tubular construction in which the bottom 114 is spaced from the top 169. A fiber glass batting 119 is positioned intermediate the top 100 and the bottom 114to provide the desired insulating properties, as shown in Figure 7. The lid 16 is adapted to be received within the outer casing 12 in the portions defined by the flap members 28b through 34b. The shoulders formed by the flap members 60:: through 6621 serve to support the lid 16 in the manner shown in Figure 7. It is possible to construct the lid 16 so that it is in tight engagement with the panel members 28a through 34b when inserted into the outer casing 12 due to the flexibility of the cardboard. In this manner it is possible to virtually seal the contents of the container from the surrounding. atmosphere. The contents can, therefore, be maintained at its respective temperature for a substantial'period'of time due to the fact that it is surrounded by the insulation battings and is substantially sealed cit from the surrounding atmosphere.

As best shown in Figure 7, the lid 16 is provided with the tab 117 to facilitate its removal from the container. The tab 117 consists of a small piece of cardboard which extends through the slot 118 in the panel 100.

Referring now to Figure 13, there is shown another form of a blank from which the outer casing 12 may be constructed. The blank 120 consists of the

panels

122, 124, 126, and 128 separated by the score lines 130. At the ends of the blank 120 are the flap members 132 which arefolded inwardly'and stapled together in a conventional manner so as to secure the ends together. The members 122a, 124a, 126a, and 128a are formed by the score line 134 and are adapted to fold inwardly to form the bottom panelof the outside casing. The flap members 122a through 128a'are held in'interlocking engagement by the tabs 136, depending therefrom. This arrangement is substantially the same as that shown in Fig ure 6 and as was described previously. At the upper edges of the panels 122 through 128 are the

panel members

122b, 124b, 126b, and 128b, which are formed by the double fold line 138. The panel members 12% through 1281: arefolded into a re-entrant position which is in touching relationship with the associated sides 122 through 128. This construction is the same as that described previously with regard to the first embodiment of the blank used in. the construction of the outer casing.

In the event that a meltable refrigerant is employed in the container, it is generally desirable that the inside container 14 be coated with some water impervious substance. Parafiin is particularly suitable for this use and may be readily applied to the cardboard material used in the construction of the inside casing 14.

The portable container of the-present invention is particularly suitable for shipping articles which must be protected from temperature changes. In this category are blood plasma, whole blood, and biologicals. In shipping articles such as these abroad, the considerable weight of prior art containers has proved particularly disadvantageous. These containersare often expensive to manufacture and consequently there was need for returning them. The container of the present invention is expendable and may be discarded after one shipment.

It is also possible due to the virtual sealing engagement of the lid with the outer casing to protect the contents of the container from atmospheric moisture. A suitable desiccant maybe placedinside the container so as to eliminate all moisture which may happen to enter the container.

The container may also be used for the shipment of articles such as" frozen food, dairy products and the like. As a result of the insulated properties'of the container, it is possible to store articles such as frozen foods and dairy products for a considerable length of time without danger of spoilage; These containers may also be used by individuals for transporting, food for picnics, catering services, and the like.

It should be pointed out that the cardboard, in particular the exposed-surfacesand the outside casing and the lid '16 may be attractively decorated or colored so as to enhance the commerciability of the container.

The container has been described in terms of cardboard or some similar paper material; however, it is contemplated that other materials such as plastic or the like may be used in its construction.

Although the container has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is to beunderstood that this is merely by way of example and is in no manner to be construed as a limitation. It is contemplated that certain modifications may be made'within the scope of the claims'without'departing from the spirit of the invention.

1. A portable insulated container comprising: an outer casing formed from an integral sheet, having a plurality of outer sides formed along predetermined score lines, inwardly extending flange members formed along predetermined score lines depending from the bottoms of said sides, said inwardly extending flange members co-operating to form a bottom closure'for said outer casing, and tab members formed along predetermined score lines depending from the tops of said sides, said tab members be ing folded into re-entrant positions along their associated sides; an inner casing including a sheet, formed into a plurality of sides along predetermined score lines, outwardly extending flange members at the tops of said inner sides for maintaining said inner casing in spaced relation from said outer casing, and a bottom closure member so cured to said inner sides, said bottom closure having downwardly depending flange members for spacing said inner casing from said bottom closure of said outer casing; insulation batting disposed between said side walls and said bottom closures of said outer casing and said inner casing; a lid member including a closure member substantially complementary to the top of said outer casing, downwardly depending flange members at the sides of said closure member formed along predetermined score lines, and inwardly extending flange members co-operating to form a substantially planar element substantially parallel with said closure member and spaced therefrom; and bail members extending along the score line between What is claimed is:

the tops of the sides of said outer casing and said returnbent tabs.

2. A portable insulated container comprising: an outer casing formed from an integral sheet having a plurality of sides formed along predetermined score lines with a right triangular half of one side at one end of said sheet and a complementary right triangular half of one side at the other end of said sheet, a tab member depending from the hypotenuse of at least one of said right triangular halves for interlocking said right triangular halves to form a completed side when said outer casing is assembled, inwardly extending flange members formed along predetermined score lines depending from the bottoms of said sides, said inwardly extending flange members cooperating to form a bottom closure for said outer casing, and tab members formed along predetermined score lines depending from the tops of said sides, said tab members being folded into re-entrant positions along their associated sides; an inner casing including a sheet, formed into a plurality of sides along predetermined score lines, outwardly extending flange members at the tops of said inner sides for maintaining said inner casing in spaced relation from said outer casing, and a bottom closure member secured to said inner sides, said bottom closure having downwardly depending flange members for spacing said inner casing from said bottom closure of said outer casing; and a lid member including a closure member substantially complementary to the top of said outer casing, downwardly depending flange members at the sides of said closure member formed along predetermined score lines, and inwardly extending flange members cooperating to form a substantially planar element substantially parallel with said closure member and spaced therefrom.

3. A portable insulated container comprising: an outer casing formed from an integral sheet, inwardly extending flange members formed along predetermined score lines depending from the bottoms of said sides, said inwardly extending flange members co-operating to form a bottom closure for said outer casing, and tab members formed along predetermined score lines depending from the tops of said sides, said tab members being folded into re-entrant positions along their associated sides; an inner casing including a sheet formed into a plurality of sides formed along predetermined score lines, outwardly extending flange members at the tops of said inner sides for maintaining said inner casing in spaced relation from said outer casing, and a bottom closure member secured to from said bottom closure of said outer casing; and a lid member adapted to reston the outv'vardlyextending'.v

flanges at the top of said inner casing: including a closure member substantially complementary to the top of said outer casing, downwardly depending flange members at the sides of said closure member formed along predctermined score lines, and an inwardly extending wedgeshaped member depending from each of said flange members, said wedge-shaped member having a tab member depending therefrom for interlocking said Wedgeshaped members with wedge-shaped members depending from adjacent sides so as to form a second closure member spaced from and substantially parallel with said first closure member.

4. A portable insulated container comprising: an outer casing formed from an integral sheet, having a plurality of outer sides formed along predetermined score lines, an inwardly extending wedge-shaped member depending from the bottom of each of said sides, said wedge-shaped member having a tab member depending therefrom for interlocking said wedge-shaped member with wedgeshaped members depending from adjacent sides so as to form a bottom closure for said outer casing, and tab members formed along predetermined score lines depending from the tops of said sides, said tab members being folded into re-entrant positions along their associated sides; an inner casing including a sheet, formed into a plurality of sides along predetermined score lines, outwardly extending flange members at the tops of said inner sides for maintaining said inner casing in spaced relation from said outer casing, and a bottom closure member secured to said inner sides, said bottom closure having downwardly depending flange members for spacing said inner casing from said bottom closure of said outer casing; and a lid member adapted to rest on the outwardly extending flanges at the top of said inner casing including a closure member substantially complementary to the top of said outer casing, downwardly depending flange members at the sides of said closure member formed along predetermined score lines, and inwardly extending flange members co-operating to form a substantially planar element substantially parallel with said closure member and spaced therefrom.

5. A portable insulated container comprising: an outer casing formed from an integral sheet having a plurality of sides formed along predetermined score lines with a right triangular half of one side at one end of said sheet and a complementary right triangular half of one side at the other end of said sheet, a tab member depending from the hypotenuse of at least one of said right triangular halves for interlocking said right triangular halves to form a completed side when said outer casing is assembled, an inwardly extending wedge-shaped member depending from the bottom of each of said sides, said wedge-shaped member having a tab member depending therefrom for interlocking said wedge-shaped member with wedge-shaped members depending from adjacent sides so as to form a bottom closure for said outer casing, and tab members formed along predetermined score lines depending from the tops of said sides, said tab members being folded into re-entrant positions along their associated sides; an inner casing including a sheet formed into a plurality of sides along predetermined score lines, outwardly extending flange members at the tops of said inner sides for maintaining said inner casing in spaced relation from said outer casing, and a bottom closure member secured to said inner sides, said bottom closure having downwardly depending flange members for spacing said inner casing from said bottom closure of said outer casing; and a lid member adapted to rest on the outwardly extending flanges at the top of said inner casing including a closure member substantially complementary to the top of said outer casing, downwardly depending flange members at the sides of said closure member formed along predeter- 7 mined score lines, and an inwardly extending wedgeshaped member depending from each of said flange mem-.

bers, said wedge-shaped member having a tab member depending therefrom for interlocking said wedge-shaped members with wedge-shaped members depending from adjacent sides so as to form a second closure member spaced from and substantially parallel with said first closure member.

References Cited in the file of this patent- UNITED STATES PATENTS V Rosenthal Jan. 27, 1959