Insulated shipping container and method

Abstract

An improved shock-absorbing, disposable, insulated shipping container including an insulated body having a cavity for holding contents to be shipped in the container. The container also includes an especially configured dual-function structure, which is shock-absorbing and provides for air circulation about the contents of the container. A fan package provides for fan-forced circulation of air within the container over the contents and a temperature control mass, so that the contents are maintained at a desired uniform temperature during shipment.

1 . An improved shock absorbing insulated shipping container, said container comprising: 
 a chambered insulating body, said body including a base portion defining a chamber therein and an opening from said chamber, and a lid portion spanning and closing said opening;    said container also including dual-function structure disposed within said chamber for receiving contents to be shipped in said container, and a temperature-control mass, said dual-function structure on the one hand providing a shock-absorbing structure spacing the contents away from inside surfaces of said chamber so as to maintain a surrounding cushion space of controlled crushability, and on the other hand, also providing an air circulation space surrounding the contents, whereby air currents are allowed to circulate about said contents and said temperature-control mass.    
   
   
       2 . The shipping container of  claim 1 , wherein said insulating body includes foamed polymer.  
   
   
       3 . The shipping container of  claim 1 , further including an air circulation fan package communicating with said chamber.  
   
   
       4 . The shipping container of  claim 3  wherein said air circulation fan package is disposed within said chamber.  
   
   
       5 . The shipping container of  claim 3 , wherein said air circulation fan package includes a battery, a motor, and a fan driven by said motor.  
   
   
       6 . The shipping container of  claim 3 , further including a temperature responsive control device for effecting controlled fan-forced circulation of air within said chamber by operation of said fan in response to temperature within said chamber.  
   
   
       7 . The shipping container of  claim 6 , wherein said temperature responsive control device includes a temperature responsive switch.  
   
   
       8 . The shipping container of  claim 3 , further including a voltage control circuit element interposed in circuit with said battery and said motor and operating said motor at less than full battery voltage while said battery is fresh, while also extending the operating time for said motor, whereby, said voltage control element extends the operating interval for said motor.  
   
   
       9 . The shipping container of  claim 8 , wherein said voltage control circuit element includes a zener diode.  
   
   
       10 . The shipping container of  claim 8 , wherein said voltage control circuit element includes a transistor.  
   
   
       11 . The shipping container of  claim 1 , wherein said dual-function structure disposed within said chamber for receiving contents to be shipped in said container, and a temperature-control mass, includes plural crushable channel members, each of said plural crushable channel members being respectively interposed between an inside surface of said chamber and said contents.  
   
   
       12 . The shipping container of  claim 11 , wherein said crushable channel members include a pair of spaced apart legs extending from an inside surface of said chamber to a portion spanning between said pair of spaced apart legs, and said pair of spaced apart legs having a determined crushability.  
   
   
       13 . The shipping container of  claim 12 , wherein said pair of spaced apart channel legs include features for modifying the crushability of said pair of spaced apart legs.  
   
   
       14 . The shipping container of  claim 13 , wherein said features for modifying the crushability of said pair of legs are selected from the group consisting of: openings, holes, slots, and slits formed in said pair of spaced apart legs.  
   
   
       15 . The shipping container of  claim 11 , wherein said base portion includes plural pairs of spaced apart grooves extending along an inside surface of said chamber, and said channel members each include a pair of spaced apart legs respectively received retainingly in said pairs of spaced apart grooves.  
   
   
       16 . The shipping container of  claim 15 , wherein said base portion includes at least one pair of spaced apart grooves extending from adjacent said opening of said chamber along a side wall surface to a floor of said chamber, and along said floor to an opposite side wall, and along said opposite side wall to terminate adjacent said opening of said chamber, and said one pair of spaced apart grooves receiving a channel member which is U-shaped to extend along said one and said opposite side wall as well as across said floor of said chamber.  
   
   
       17 . The shipping container of  claim 15 , wherein said base portion includes at least one pair of spaced apart grooves extending from adjacent said opening of said chamber along a side wall surface to terminate adjacent to a floor of said chamber, and said one pair of spaced apart grooves receiving a channel member which is substantially straight to extend along said side wall between said opening of said chamber and said floor.  
   
   
       18 . The shipping container of  claim 1 , wherein a tray member is further received in said chamber and carries said thermal mass, said tray member defining air circulation openings communicating with said dual-function structure so as to allow air circulation about said thermal mass and about the contents to be shipped in said container.  
   
   
       19 . The shipping container of  claim 18 , wherein said tray member carries said fan package, said fan package receiving air from said air circulation space of said dual-function structure to circulate this air over said thermal mass, and delivering fan-forced air circulation into said air circulation space.  
   
   
       20 . The shipping container of  claim 4 , wherein said base portion defines a floor wall, and said floor wall defines a recess communicating with said chamber, said fan package being disposed in said recess to receive air from said air circulation space of said dual-function structure, and delivering fan-forced air into said air circulation space.  
   
   
       21 . The shipping container of  claim 1 , wherein said dual-function structure includes plural interlocking wall members, said plural interlocking wall members defining at least one well for receiving the contents to be shipped in said container, and said plural interlocking wall members further including protruding crushable end portions extending outwardly of said at least one well and engaging inside surfaces of said chamber to both provide said cushion space and to also provide at least a part of said air circulation space.  
   
   
       22 . The shipping container of  claim 21 , wherein said plural interlocking wall members cooperatively define plural wells for receiving the contents to be shipped in said container, and said plural interlocking wall members also defining a chimney passage among said wells and defining a portion of said air circulation space, whereby said air circulation space includes said cushion space surrounding the contents to be shipped in said container as well as said central chimney passage among the contents to be shipped in said container, so that the contents have air circulation space about these contents as well as among these contents.  
   
   
       23 . The shipping container of  claim 22 , wherein said plural interlocking wall members define a chimney passage of cruciform configuration, so that a part of said cruciform passage is interposed between adjacent wells for receiving contents to be shipped in said container.  
   
   
       24 . The shipping container of  claim 22 , wherein said chimney passage communicates directly with said fan of said fan package.  
   
   
       25 . The shipping container of  claim 2 , wherein said dual-function structure includes plural integral spaced apart features protruding from an inside surface of said chamber; said protruding features being selected from the group including: columns, fins, ribs, and blocks, each formed integrally of the foamed polymer material of said container and having a determined crushability; and said spaced apart features providing a portion of said air circulation space therebetween.  
   
   
       26 . The shipping container of  claim 25 , wherein said plural integral spaced apart features protruding from an inside surface of said chamber are selected to include pair of closely spaced apart ribs, and said pairs of closely spaced apart ribs extending along opposite side walls of said chamber, said pairs of closely spaced apart ribs receiving therebetween a partition member dividing said chamber into a first and a second portion, and an additional part of said dual-function structure as well as said contents to be shipped in said container being received into only one of said first and said second chamber portions, whereby said container has a variable-volume capacity within said chamber for receiving said additional part of said dual-function structure and said contents to be shipped in said container.  
   
   
       27 . A method of isolating contents to be shipped in a container both from shock and from ambient temperatures, said method including steps of: 
 providing a chambered insulating body;    configuring said body to include a base portion defining a chamber therein and an opening from said chamber;    providing a lid portion spanning and closing said opening;    included in the chamber of the body a dual-function structure for receiving contents to be shipped in said container along with a temperature-control mass;    configuring said dual-function structure to on the one hand provide a shock-absorbing structure spacing the contents away from inside surfaces of said chamber so as to maintain a surrounding cushion space of controlled crushability, and to on the other hand to also provide an air circulation space surrounding the contents;    whereby air currents are allowed to circulate about said contents and said temperature-control mass.    
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27  further including the steps of: 
 providing a fan communicating with said chamber, and utilizing said fan to effect fan-forced air circulation in said air circulation space surrounding the contents.    
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28  including steps of: providing said fan by providing a fan package including a battery providing electrical power, a motor receiving electrical power from said battery, and a fan driven by said motor.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29  further including the step of: effecting controlled fan-forced circulation of air within said chamber by operation of said fan in response to temperature within said chamber.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30  including the step of providing a temperature responsive control device in said fan package.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31  including the step of including a temperature responsive switch in said control device.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 30  including the steps of including a voltage control circuit element interposed in circuit with said battery and said motor and operating said motor at less than full battery voltage while said battery is fresh, and utilizing said voltage control circuit element to extend the operating time for said motor, whereby, said voltage control element extends the operating interval for said motor before said battery is exhausted.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 27  including step of disposing as a part of said dual-function structure within said chamber for receiving contents to be shipped in said container plural crushable channel members, and interposing each of said plural crushable channel members between an inside surface of said chamber and said contents.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34  including steps of 
 providing for each of said crushable channel members a pair of spaced apart legs extending from an inside surface of said chamber to a portion spanning between said pair of spaced apart legs, and providing said pair of spaced apart legs with a determined crushability.    
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein said pair of spaced apart channel legs of said channel members are provided with a determined crushability by including features weakening the pair of spaced apart legs.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the step of including features for weakening said pair of spaced apart legs includes forming features selected from the group consisting of: openings, holes, slots, and slits formed in said pair of spaced apart legs.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 34  wherein said base portion is formed to include plural pairs of spaced apart grooves extending along an inside surface of said chamber, and said channel members each include a pair of spaced apart legs respectively received retainingly in said pairs of spaced apart grooves.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 27  further including in said chamber of said container a tray member, and carrying said thermal mass on said tray member; and defining air circulation openings in said tray member communicating with said dual-function structure so as to allow air circulation about said thermal mass and about the contents to be shipped in said container.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 39  further including the steps of carrying said fan package on said tray member, and providing for said fan package to receive air from said air circulation space of said dual-function structure and to circulate this air over said thermal mass and to deliver fan-forced air currents into said air circulation space.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 29  further including steps of: 
 configuring said base portion to defines a floor wall, and in said floor wall providing a recess communicating with said chamber;    disposing said fan package in said recess to receive air from said air circulation space of said dual-function structure; and    delivering fan-forced air into said air circulation space by operation of said fan package.    
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 27  further including steps of: 
 including in said dual-function structure plural interlocking wall members;    configuring said plural interlocking wall members to define at least one well for receiving the contents to be shipped in said container; and    providing for said plural interlocking wall members to further include protruding crushable end portions extending outwardly of said at least one well to engage respective inside surfaces of said chamber;    whereby said protruding crushable end portions both provide said cushion space and provide at least a part of said air circulation space.    
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 42  further including steps of: 
 providing for said plural interlocking wall members to cooperatively define plural wells for receiving the contents to be shipped in said container;    utilizing said plural interlocking wall members to also define a chimney passage among said wells; and    utilizing said chimney passage to define a portion of said air circulation space;    whereby said air circulation space includes said cushion space surrounding the contents to be shipped in said container as well as said chimney passage among the contents to be shipped in said container, so that the contents have air circulation space about these contents as well as among these contents.    
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 43  including the steps of: 
 utilizing said plural interlocking wall members to define said chimney passage; and    providing for said chimney passage to be part of a passage of cruciform configuration defined by said plural interlocking walls and separating said plural wells for receiving contents to be shipped in said container.    
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 27  further including steps of: 
 forming said insulating body to include foamed polymer;    providing for said dual-function structure to include plural integral spaced apart features of foamed polymer protruding from an inside surface of said chamber;    providing for said protruding features to be selected from the group including: columns, fins, ribs, and blocks;    forming said protruding features each integrally from the foamed polymer material of said container and having a determined crushability according to the strength of said polymer material; and    further providing for said protruding features to be sufficiently spaced apart such that they cooperatively define spaces therebetween which define at least a part of said air circulation space.    
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 45  including steps of: 
 selecting said plural integral spaced apart features to include a pair of closely spaced apart ribs, and    extending one pair of closely spaced apart ribs along opposite side walls of said chamber;    providing for said pairs of closely spaced apart ribs to receiving therebetween a partition member dividing said chamber into a first and a second portion;    whereby said container has a variable-volume capacity within said chamber for receiving said dual-function structure and said contents to be shipped in said container.    
   
   
       47 . An improved disposable, shock-absorbing insulated shipping container, said container comprising: 
 a chambered foam polymer insulating body;    said body including a base portion including a floor wall and at least one side wall cooperatively bounding a chamber therein and an opening from said chamber;    said body including also a lid portion spanning and closing said opening;    disposed within said chamber, said container also including a dual-function structure for receiving contents to be shipped in said container, and a temperature-control mass;    said dual-function structure on the one hand providing a shock-absorbing structure spacing the contents away from inside surfaces of said chamber walls so as to maintain a surrounding cushion space of controlled crushability, and on the other hand, also providing an air circulation space surrounding the contents so that air currents are allowed to circulate about said contents and said temperature-control mass; and    an air circulation fan package disposed within said chamber.    
   
   
       48 . The shipping container of  claim 47 , wherein said disposable air circulation fan package includes a battery, a motor, and a fan driven by said motor.  
   
   
       49 . The shipping container of  claim 47 , further including a temperature responsive control device for effecting controlled fan-forced circulation of air within said chamber by operation of said fan in response to temperature within said chamber.  
   
   
       50 . The shipping container of  claim 47 , further including a voltage control circuit element interposed in circuit with said battery and said motor and operating said motor at less than full battery voltage while said battery is fresh, while also extending the operating time for said motor, whereby, said voltage control element extends the operating interval for said motor before said battery is exhausted.