Insulated bag with handles

Abstract

An insulated bag includes a pair of opposing main panels; and a pair of opposing side panels, each side panel attached to each main panel, the main panels and the side panels defining a bag cavity within the insulated bag; the main panels and the side panels defined in an insulated blank, the insulated blank including a first paper layer; and a paper fiber pad coupled to the first paper layer, the paper fiber pad having paper reinforcement fibers interlocked with about 2% to about 25% by weight of a meltable PE/PP bi-component thermoplastic binder fiber distributed substantially randomly, wherein subjecting the repulpable shipping container to a repulpability test produces greater than 85% fiber yield.

That which is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for forming an insulated bag, the method comprising:
 mixing paper fibers with binder fibers to form a mixture;   disposing the mixture onto a surface to form a layer of the mixture;   applying heat to form a paper fiber batt from the mixture having a fixed width and fixed length;   coupling the paper fiber batt to a paper layer to form an insulated batt; and   folding the insulated batt to form the insulated bag comprising:
 a pair of opposing main panels defined by the insulated batt; and 
 a pair of opposing side panels defined by the insulated batt, each side panel attached to each main panel, the main panels and the side panels defining a bag cavity within the insulated bag; 
   wherein the insulated bag comprising the bag cavity has a repulpability of greater than 85%.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming an insulated panel within the bag cavity, wherein the insulated panel is sized and shaped complimentary with a horizontal cross-section of the bag cavity. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of opposing main panels and the pair of opposing side panels comprise an extended neck portion of the insulated bag. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the paper fiber batt has paper reinforcement fibers interlocked with about 2% to about 25% by weight of a meltable PE/PP bi-component thermoplastic binder fiber distributed substantially randomly. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising melting the binder fibers of the insulated batt to recycle the paper fiber batt after the insulated bag has been used. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the binder fibers are meltable PE/PP bi-component thermoplastic binder fibers. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein a first portion of the binder fibers has a length of about 1 mm and a second portion of the binder fibers has a length of about 6 mm. 
     
     
         8 . A method for forming an insulated bag, the method comprising:
 mixing paper fibers with binder fibers;   disposing a mixture onto a surface to form a layer of the mixture;   applying heat to form a paper fiber batt from the mixture;   coupling the paper fiber batt to a paper layer to form an insulated batt; and   folding the insulated batt to form an insulated bag that has a repulpability of greater than 85%.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising forming an insulated panel within a bag cavity, wherein the insulated panel is sized and shaped complimentary with a horizontal cross-section of the bag cavity. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a pair of opposing main panels and a pair of opposing side panels comprise an extended neck portion of the insulated bag. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the paper fiber batt has paper reinforcement fibers interlocked with about 2% to about 25% by weight of a meltable PE/PP bi-component thermoplastic binder fiber distributed substantially randomly. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising melting the binder fibers of the insulated batt to recycle the paper fiber batt after the insulated bag has been used. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the binder fibers are meltable PE/PP bi-component thermoplastic binder fibers. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein a first portion of the binder fibers has a length of about 1 mm and a second portion of the binder fibers has a length of about 6 mm.