System, method, and apparatus for an insulating packaging product

Abstract

The present invention pertains to the art of packing materials. The present invention provides a thermally-insulating and compostable packing product made of a compostable thin-film material forming an enclosed envelope filled with compressed corn-starch. The packing product of the present invention may be folded and positioned within a container to physically and thermally insulate or isolate an item for shipping within the container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 ) An insulating, compostable packing product comprising:
 a body comprising thin-film material and having a middle section, a first arm, a second arm, a third arm, and a fourth arm, the body further comprising an interior space, sides, and a thickness;   wherein when unfolded each of the first, second, third, and fourth arms are disposed cardinally about and extending outwards in a common plane from the middle section;   a pelletized filler material disposed within the body of the packing product; and   wherein the packing product is adapted to be folded within a container to form an enclosed space within the container for thermally insulating and physically isolating a set of items within the enclosed space in the container.   
     
     
         2 ) The packaging product of  claim 1 , wherein the thin-film material comprises a compostable thin-film material. 
     
     
         3 ) The packaging product of  claim 1 , wherein the thin-film material comprises a water-soluble thin-film material. 
     
     
         4 ) The packaging product of  claim 1 , wherein the pelletized filler material comprises a water-soluble material. 
     
     
         5 ) The packaging product of  claim 1 , wherein the pelletized filler material comprises a plurality of compostable, insulating corn-starch based pellets. 
     
     
         6 ) The packaging product of  claim 1 , wherein the first arm is relatively longer than the second, third, and fourth arms. 
     
     
         7 ) The packaging product of  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a top layer and a bottom layer joined at a seam about the sides of the body. 
     
     
         8 ) The packaging product of  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a single sheet of thin-film material sealed at the ends of each of the first, second, third, and fourth arms. 
     
     
         9 ) The packaging product of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the first arm is adapted to form a top of the enclosed space within the container when the body of the product is folded within the container. 
     
     
         10 ) The packaging product of  claim 1 , wherein the packaging product maintains a temperature below 4 degrees Celsius within the enclosed space for a period of 72 hours when exposed to an external temperature exceeding 25 degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         11 ) The packaging product of  claim 1 , wherein the packaging product maintains a temperature below 8 degrees Celsius within the enclosed space for a period of 48 hours when exposed to an external temperature exceeding 25 degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         12 ) An insulating, compostable packing product adapted to be folded within a container to form an enclosed space within the container for thermally insulating and physically isolating an item within the enclosed space in the container, the packing product comprising:
 a body comprising a compostable thin-film material, a middle section, a first arm, a second arm, a third arm, a fourth arm, an interior space, a set of sides, and a thickness;   wherein the interior space formed by and is disposed within the compostable thin-film material and is sealed by a partial vacuum;   wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth arms are disposed cardinally about and extending outwards in a common plane from the middle section, and the first arm is relatively longer than the second, third, and fourth arms; and   a water-soluble, pelletized filler material disposed within the body of the packing product, the water-soluble, pelletized filler material forming a thermally insulating and physically isolating layer and having a malleable, semi-rigid structure;   wherein the packaging product maintains a temperature below 8 degrees Celsius within the enclosed space for a period of 48 hours when exposed to an external temperature exceeding 25 degrees Celsius.   
     
     
         13 ) The packaging product of  claim 12 , wherein the body comprises a top layer and a bottom layer joined at a seam about the sides of the body. 
     
     
         14 ) The packaging product of  claim 12 , wherein the body comprises a single sheet of thin-film material sealed at the ends of each of the first, second, third, and fourth arms. 
     
     
         15 ) The packaging product of  claim 12 , wherein a portion of the first arm is adapted to form a top of the enclosed space within the container when the body of the product is folded within the container. 
     
     
         16 ) The packaging product of  claim 12 , wherein the packaging product maintains a temperature below 4 degrees Celsius within the enclosed space for a period of 72 hours when exposed to an external temperature exceeding 25 degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         17 ) An insulated shipping assembly for providing an enclosed space for thermally insulating contents from ambient temperature, the shipping assembly comprising:
 a container having four sides, a top and a bottom defining a first interior space; and   a compostable and thermally-insulating packing product comprising:
 a body defined by a skin of thin-film material, the body having an unfolded configuration and a folded configuration, when unfolded the body being essentially cross-shaped and having an essentially square-shaped central portion with four arm portions extending outward from respective sides of the square-shaped central portion, each of the four arm portions adapted to be folded upward at a respective side of the square-shaped central portion; 
 a pelletized filler material disposed within the body skin, the body skin being sealed to prevent release of the filler material; 
 wherein the compostable and thermally-insulating packing product is adapted to be folded and positioned within the first interior space of the container so as to define a second interior space within the first interior space to receive for shipping a set of thermally-sensitive contents; and 
 wherein the filler material has thermal insulative qualities for thermally insulating and isolating the set of thermally-sensitive contents when enclosed within the first and second interior spaces. 
   
     
     
         18 ) The insulated shipping assembly of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the four arm portions includes a top portion adapted to fold over and enclose the second interior space within the first interior space. 
     
     
         19 ) The insulated shipping assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the four arm portions are folded upwards relative to the central portion, with the body disposed within the first internal space and with the central portion disposed over the bottom of the container and the four arms adjacent respective ones of the container four sides. 
     
     
         20 ) The insulated shipping assembly of  claim 17 , wherein two of the four arm portions are relatively shorter than the other two arm portions and with the body disposed within the first interior space the distal ends of the shorter arms extend to the top of the container and, the relatively longer arm portions extending beyond the top of the container, whereby the length of the two relatively longer arms that extend beyond the top of the container are configured to be folded over inwards towards each other to form a top layer opposite the central portion and enclosing the second interior space within the container.