CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of provisional patent application S.N. 62/026,129, filed July 18, 2014, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to reusable composite containers. In particular, the present invention relates to reusable composite containers for cold chain packaging. Other aspects of the invention will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the present specification.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

[0003] Cold chain packaging allows temperature control of a payload (e.g., perishable goods) during shipping and distribution of a package. Containers used for cold chain packaging may be composed of a variety of materials including expanded polystyrene (EPS). EPS is thermally insulating and lightweight but easily damaged. Forces exerted upon an EPS container during shipping and handling can result in damage to the container as well as the payload housed inside. Further, when an EPS container harbouring a temperature-sensitive payload is damaged, the container must be opened and the payload transferred to a new container, which subjects the payload to potentially harmful temperature fluctuations. The relative fragility of EPS also leads many package recipients to consider EPS containers as single-use containers, resulting in their mass disposal and waste.

[0004] Senders and recipients of temperature-sensitive goods may desire improved thermal insulation over that provided by EPS alone. This is particularly important for perishable goods where even small temperature variations can impair the activity of the product (e.g., pharmaceuticals) or reduce its shelf-life (e.g., seafood). SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate at least one of the above- mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

[0006] Provided in one embodiment is a composite cold chain packaging container which relative to non-composite containers improves the insulation properties of the overall container to maintain a constant or nearly constant temperature for the package payload.

[0007] Provided in one embodiement is a composite cold chain packaging container which relative to non-composite containers improves the durability of the overall container allowing it to be returnable and reusable.

[0008] Provided in one embodiment is a composite cold chain packaging container which provides a lightweight solution to ship temperature-sensitive goods.

[0009] Provided in one embodiment is a composite cold chain packaging container which uses expanded polystyrene (EPS) in an inner container to protect the desired package, and an outer foam container to protect the EPS inner container. The foam outer container preferably comprises one or more of expanded polypropylene (EPP), EPS (Polystyrene), EPE (Polyethylene), PEPP (porous EPP) and PS/PE (Polystyrene/Polyethylene), more preferably EPP.

[0010] Provided in one preferred embodiment is a composite cold chain packaging container which allows for flexibility of the design of an EPS inner container to accommodate custom designed protective packaging while maintaining a standard EPP (or other as described in the previous paragraph) outer container.

[0011] Provided in one preferred embodiment is the use of EPP and EPS as a composite to confer durability, temperature control, and light weight to packaging containers, to enable cold chain markets to protect their temperature-sensitive packages, and to allow for reuse of the containers, thus reducing waste associated with single-use containers. [0012] In a first aspect, provided is a composite container comprising a thermally insulating inner container fitted within a durable outer container. The outer container may also be thermally insulating and the inner container may be separable from the outer container. The inner container may consist of expanded polystyrene and the outer container may consist of expanded polypropylene.

[0013] The composite container may be used to ship perishable goods, and during shipping, the perishable goods may be maintained at a nearly constant temperature below the ambient temperature using cooling means. The container may be shipped by a sending party and received by a receiving party, and the receiving party may return the container to the sending party after receiving the container. The sending party may then reuse the container to ship perishable goods.

[0014] At least one of the inner container and the outer container may be integral. At least one of the inner container and the outer container may comprise a lid, a non-removable portion, and a removable portion. At least one of the inner container and the outer container may be shaped as a cube or rectangular cuboid comprising a lid, a bottom panel, and four side panels, and wherein the removable portion consists of one of the side panels.

[0015] In a second aspect, provided is the use a composite container comprising a thermally insulating inner container fitted within a durable outer container.

[0016] In a third aspect, provided is a method of shipping a payload in a composite container, the composite container comprising a thermally insulating inner container fitted within a durable outer container, the method comprising: placing the payload along with cooling means inside of the inner container; closing the inner container; closing the outer container; and shipping the composite container.

[0017] Other advantages of the invention will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the present specification. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like parts, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a composite container;

Figure 2 shows the container of Figure 1 with the lid of the outer container removed;

Figure 3 shows the container of Figure 1 turned on its side with the lid of the outer container removed and the lid of the inner container removed;

Figure 4 is a top-view of an embodiment of a composite container having an outer container with one side panel removed and an inner container with one side panel removed; and

Figure 5 is a top-view of the composite container from Figure 4 with the removable side panels attached to form an intact composite container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Referring to Figures 1-3, shown is an embodiment of a composite container 10 comprising an outer container 20 and inner container 30. The inner container 30 is designed to house and to thermally insulate a payload (not shown), while fitting within the outer container 20 designed to protect the composite container 10 from potentially damaging external forces encountered during shipping and handling. A payload shipped in the composite container 10 can comprise any good or goods which a sending party or receiving party desires to maintain at a temperature below the ambient temperature (i.e., the temperature of the immediate surroundings of the composite container 10), including but not limited to perishable goods such as pharmaceuticals, vaccines, blood, biomedical products, and food.

[0020] The outer container 20 is designed to be durable and to confer physically protective properties to the composite container 10 to protect the payload inside of the inner container 30 against potentially damaging forces exerted on the composite container 10 during shipping and handling. In addition, the durability of the outer container 20 facilitates the reuse and/or return of the composite container 10. For example, where the composite container 10 is shipped by a sending party and received by a receiving party, the receiving party may remove the payload and return the composite container 10 to the sending party for reuse. The outer container 20 can be composed in part or entirely of a thermally insulating material which inhibits heat transfer through the composite container 10 and reduces temperature fluctuations within the inner container 30, thereby facilitating the maintenance of temperatures inside of the inner container 30 below ambient temperatures. Typically the outer container 20 is composed entirely or in part of one or more durable, physically strong, resilient, and thermally insulating materials capable of resisting damage, fatigue, and heat transfer during shipping and handling. The material may be flexible to reduce the risk of cracking or breaking of the outer container 20, and preferably the material is light-weight. In some embodiments the outer container 20 is composed in part or entirely of a thermoplastic polymer. In preferred embodiments the outer container 20 comprises one or more of expanded polypropylene (EPP), EPS (Polystyrene), EPE (Polyethylene), PEPP (porous EPP) and PS/PE (Polystyrene/Polyethylene), more preferably EPP.

[0021] The outer container 20 is not limited to a particular shape and can assume for example a cube, rectangular cuboid, cylinder or ovoid shape. In a preferred embodiment the outer container 20 is shaped as a cube or rectangular cuboid comprising a bottom panel 22, side panels 24, 25, 26, 27 and lid 28. In Figures 2 and 3 the lid 28 of the outer container 20 is depicted as removable. However, in other embodiments the lid 28 may be bound to one side panel (e.g., by one or more hinges) to allow the lid 28 to swing open without being removed from the outer container 20.

[0022] The inner container 30 is designed to thermally insulate the composite container 10 to facilitate the maintenance of temperatures inside of the inner container 30 below ambient temperatures. The inner container 30 is composed in part or entirely of a thermally insulating material, which in preferred embodiments is light-weight. In some embodiments the inner container 30 may be formed from soft and/or flexible material to facilitate the fitting of the inner container 30 within the outer container 20. In some embodiments the inner container 30 is composed in part or entirely of an aromatic polymer. In preferred embodiments the inner container 30 is composed in part or entirely of EPS. [0023] The inner container 30 is not limited to a particular shape and can assume for example a cube, rectangular cuboid, cylinder or ovoid shape. In a preferred embodiment the inner container 30 is shaped as a cube or rectangular cuboid comprising a bottom panel 32, side panels 34, 35, 36, 37 and lid 38. In Figure 3 the lid 38 of the outer container has been removed. However, in other embodiments the lid 38 may be bound to one side panel (e.g., by one or more hinges) to allow the lid 38 to swing open without being removed from the inner container 30. The inner container 30 may have further features to help protect the payload against external forces exerted against the composite container 10 during shipping and handling. For example, the inner container 30 may be custom-shaped and sized to complement the shape and size of a payload and to inhibit movement of the payload relative to the inner container 30.

[0024] In preferred embodiments the thermally insulating inner container 30 is fitted within a thermally insulating outer container 20 to buffer the payload inside of the inner container against higher ambient temperatures and to maintain a constant or nearly constant temperature for the payload inside of the inner container 30. In the context of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a nearly constant temperature is considered to encompass temperature fluctuations from a target temperature (e.g., ambient temperature, 20°C, etc.) on the order of ±8°C, preferably ±6°C, more preferably ±4°C. Thus by fitting a thermally insulating inner container 30 within a thermally insulating outer container 20, the present disclosure provides for a composite container 10 capable of fine control of temperature inside of the inner container 30.

[0025] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the composite container 10 comprises the inner container 30 fitted within the outer container 20. In the illustrated embodiments, the inner container 30 and outer container 20 are of the same shape, and the outer edges of side panels 34, 35, 36, 37 and bottom panel 32 of inner container 30 are fitted flush against the inner edges of the corresponding panels of outer container 20. However, in other embodiments the inner container 30 may be of a different shape than the outer container 20, and some or all of the outer edges of the inner container 30 may not be flush with the inner edges of the outer container 20. Allowing for differences in shape between the inner container 30 and outer container 20 confers flexibility to the design of the inner container 30 and/or outer container 20 while maintaining the advantages associated with use of a composite container 10. For example, the inner container 30 may be custom-shaped (e.g., ovoid shaped) to accommodate the shape of a particular payload (which itself may be wrapped or encased in protective packaging), while the outer container 20 may have a standard rectangular cuboid shape. In some embodiments, flexibility of the design of an EPS inner container 30 accommodates custom-designed protective packaging (e.g., of the package payload) while facilitating the fitting of the inner container 30 within a standard EPP outer container 20.

[0026] In some embodiments the inner container 30 and outer container 20 are not designed to be separated. For example, the inner container 30 and outer container 20 may be fused one to the other (e.g., using adhesive) to form the composite container 10. In other embodiments the inner container 30 and outer container 20 are separable. The use of separable inner containers 30 and outer containers 20 facilitates the interchanging of a variety of inner containers 30 (e.g., having different shapes and/or sizes) amongst a single type of outer container 20 or a variety of outer containers 20 (e.g., having different shapes and/or sizes). By interchanging inner containers 30 having varying features with outer containers 20 having varying features to create a variety of types of composite containers 10, shippers can more readily accommodate packaging restrictions associated with for example different types, shapes or sizes of package payloads, or the shipping specifications of shipping companies, intermediaries within the cold chain, and/or the end recipient of the package.

[0027] The inner container 30 can be formed from a single piece of integral material or more than one piece of material. Likewise, the outer container 20 can be formed from a single piece of material or more than one piece of material. In embodiments where the inner container 30 and/or outer container 20 are formed from more than one piece of material, the pieces can be fused to one another (e.g., using adhesive) and/or one or more pieces of material can be separable from the others. Embodiments wherein one or more portions of the inner container 30 and/or outer container 20 are removable can facilitate ease of packaging of a payload, for example if a payload cannot easily be loaded through the top of the inner container 30, if the inner container 30 and outer container 20 are of a different shape, or if the inner container 30 is dimensioned relative to the outer container 20 such that the inner container 30 fits tightly within the outer container 20. Figures 4 and 5 show an example embodiment of a composite container 10 wherein one side panel 37 of the inner container 30 and one side panel 27 of the outer container 20 are removable. Removable portions of the inner container 30 and outer container 20 (e.g., removable side panels 37 and 27, respectively) can be attached to the inner container 30 and/or outer container 20 using any means known to a person skilled in the art, such as but not limited to snap fittings, tape, temporary adhesive, and contour fittings.

[0028] To ship a payload (e.g., perishable goods) using a composite container 10 with a separable inner container 30 and outer container 20, the payload is first placed inside of the inner container 30 along with cooling means (e.g., ice pack, crushed ice, dry ice, PCM (phase change material), etc.). In embodiments where placement of the payload inside of the inner container 30 is facilitated by removing a portion (e.g., side panel 37 in Figure 4) of the inner container 30, the payload may be placed inside the inner container 30 with the removable portion removed, following which the removable portion (e.g., side panel 37) may be attached to the inner container 30 and cooling means may be added to the inner container 30 interior. Once the payload is loaded into the inner container 30, the lid (e.g., lid 38) may be applied to the inner container 30. Next the inner container 30 can be fitted within the outer container 20 to form the composite container 10. In embodiments where the fitting of the inner container 30 within the outer container 20 is facilitated by removing a portion (e.g., side panel 27 in Figure 4) of the outer container 20, the inner container 30 may be placed within the outer container 20 with the removable portion removed, following which the removable portion (e.g., side panel 27) may be attached to the outer container 20. Finally, the lid (e.g., lid 28) may be applied to the outer container 28 to form the composite container 10 containing its payload.

[0029] To ship a payload (e.g., perishable goods) using a composite container 10 wherein the inner container 30 and outer container 20 are not separable, the payload is first placed inside the inner container 30 along with cooling means (e.g., ice pack, crushed ice, dry ice, PCM (phase change material), etc.). The lid (e.g., lid 38) is then applied to the inner container 30, followed by application of the lid (e.g., lid 28) to the outer container 20 to form the composite container 10 containing its payload.

[0030] In embodiments having a separable inner container 30 and outer container 20, typically the inner container 30 of the composite container 10 is fitted within the outer container 20 throughout the entirety of cold chain transport (i.e., from the point of first shipping of the package payload to its final destination). However, in some embodiments the inner container 30 may be removed from the outer container 20 prior to the arrival of the composite container 10 at its final destination, for example to transfer the inner container 30 out of a damaged outer container 20. It will be clear from the above description that in such cases the inner container 30 need not be opened in order to transfer the inner container 30 and its payload to a fresh outer container 20. Thus a further advantage of the composite container 10 described herein is to enable continued protection of the payload within the inner container 30 during shipping without the need to ever open the inner container 30 or directly handle the payload therein, which could alter the controlled temperature within the inner container 30 and damage the temperature- sensitive payload.

[0031] Once the composite container 10 with its payload is received at its final destination, the lid (e.g., lid 28) of the outer container 20 and the lid (e.g., lid 38) of the inner container 30 are removed in order to extract the payload (e.g., perishable goods). At this time the composite container 10 can be reused by the receiving party, for example by shipping a different payload in the same composite container 10 or a variant composite container 10 produced by interchanging the inner container 30 or outer container 20 with a different inner container 30 or outer container 20, respectively. Alternatively, the receiving party can re-constitute the received composite container 10 by applying the removed lids (e.g., lids 38, 28) and return the composite container 10 to the sender, who can reuse the composite container 10 to ship another payload (e.g., perishable goods).