The present invention relates to transport containers for safely containing items being transported. The invention has particular utility in the shipping of items by pallets or in pallet-form containers or packages, but it is applicable generally to any mode of transporting items. Also, the invention is especially suitable for the transporting of items that need to be maintained within a defined temperature range (e.g; cooled or heated compared to normal ambient temperature), but at least the broadest aspects of the invention are not so limited.

There are a great many different types of ^' -.transport container, ranging from simple cardboard boxes and the like, to more sophisticated insulated containers. Examples of such sophisticated insulated containers include those devised by the present inventor, for example as described in United States Patents Nos. 6,089,038, 6,609,628 B2 and 6,234,341 Bl, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The inventor has now identified a need for a transport container of simple (preferably modular) construction that can be assembled without the need for specialist equipment, can readily be made and assembled in a large range of sizes, and that can be insulating, e.g. thermally insulating and/or mechanically insulating (against mechanical shocks and other damage). Thermally insulating containers may be required for the transportation of food products or medical supplies, including pharmaceuticals and organs for transplant, for example.

Accordingly, a first aspect of the invention provides a transport container, comprising inner and outer self-supporting side walls spaced apart by a gap, a separate base and a separate lid, the base and lid closing the container at opposite ends of the side walls, characterised in that there are provided cylindrical elements to ensure that inner and outer side walls are maintained in pre-defined positions relative to one another.

A second aspect of the invention provides a kit of parts for assembling a transport container according to the first aspect of the invention, comprising one or more parts defining the inner and outer side walls, a base part and a lid part. Preferably, the inner side wall is defined by one or more parts, and the outer side wall is separately defined by one or more further parts.

References herein to the "container" include references to the kit of parts for assembling the container.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, insulating material may be provided between the inner and outer side walls. Such insulating material may be thermally insulating, for example. Additionally or alternatively, the insulating material may be mechanically insulating, to insulate contents of the container in use from mechanical shocks or other mechanical damage.

Preferably, the insulating material comprises one or more panels of material. However, the insulating material may generally have any form, for example it may comprise pellets, particles, balls or other discrete components. The insulating material preferably comprises polymer material, e.g. polyethylene or polystyrene. If panels or other sections of insulation are used, it may be formed by extrusion (especially in the case of polyethylene) or it may be moulded and cut to size (especially in the case of polystyrene), for example. The insulating material may advantageously comprise foam material.

The inner and outer side walls of the container may be separate from each other and assembled together, e.g. when the container is assembled. Alternatively, the inner and outer side walls may be joined together prior to assembly of the container, or they may be formed together as a single integral side wall.

The container may be generally cylindrical or generally prismatic in shape, for example. Conveniently the container is cylindrical, the base and lid being substantially rectangular, circular, oval or some other shape. Preferably, however, the container is generally prismatic in shape, i.e. it preferably has a plurality of side faces (e.g. four side faces) defined by the inner and outer walls together.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, the inner side wall comprises a single part and/or the outer side wall comprises a single part, the or each single part including folds to define side faces of the container. Each side wall may, for example, be cut from a larger piece, to define the height of the container. In this way, the height of the container may be determined or modified with ease.

It is especially preferred for the inner and outer side walls to be folded and/or stacked in a substantially flat configuration when disassembled from the base and the lid. Most preferably, the entire container may be folded and/or stacked substantially flat. In this way, empty containers may be transported and stored in a space-saving manner.

The container preferably includes one or more retaining members to retain the base, side walls and lid together, and thereby to retain the container closed. The (or each) retaining member may comprise a strap, a band, a strip or a sheet, for example.

The container preferably also includes one or more insulating parts for the base and/or one or more insulating parts for the lid. Preferably, the (or each) insulating part is located, in use, between the base or lid respectively and the inner side wall.

It is generally preferred for the base and/or the lid to be substantially flat. Nonetheless, the base and/or the lid preferably include(s) a substantially peripheral projecting lip adapted to enclose an end of the inner

aπd outer side walls when the base and/or the lid respectively close(s) the container at that end of the side walls. Any insulating part(s) for the base and/or the lid may also be enclosed by the projecting lip.

In particularly preferred embodiments of the invention, the container includes corner members adapted to be located between the inner and outer side walls at corners of the side walls. The corner members may provide support to the container and/or they may provide containment for insulating material located between them. The corner members may be formed from insulating material, e.g. the same type of insulating material as other insulating material provided between the inner and outer walls.

As mentioned above, the transport container may be required to maintain its contents within a particular temperature range. To this end, the container may include cooling or heating means adapted to be located between the inner and outer side walls, to keep the interior of the container cooled or heated. Suitable cooling means include ice packs or cooled gel packs, for example. The heating or cooling means preferably are located between the inner and outer side walls and adjacent to insulating material such that the insulating material is exterior to the heating or cooling means. Corner members located between the inner and outer side walls may provide containment for heating or cooling means located between them.

A third aspect of the invention provides a transport container comprising inner and outer self-supporting side walls spaced apart by a gap, and a base comprising one or more parts integrally formed with and unfoldable with respect to the outer side wall and/or the inner side wall, the side walls also being foldable, thereby allowing the container to be folded substantially flat.

The container according to all aspects of the invention may be formed from any suitable material(s). Preferably, however, any or all of the inner side wall, the outer side wall, the base and the lid are formed from

cardboard or similar card-like or board-like material (e.g. plastics materials). Most preferably, they are formed from corrugated cardboard.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is an exploded diagram of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional diagram illustrating a detail of the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1, and;

Figures 3 & 4 shows a schematic views of a further embodiment.

Figure 1 is an exploded diagram of a transport container 1 comprising a self-supporting inner side wall 3, a self-supporting outer side wall 5, a separate base 7 and a separate lid 9, each preferably formed from cardboard. The container 1 is in the form of a box, having four side faces 8 defined by the inner and outer side walls together, a base and a lid. The inner side wall 3 and the outer side wall 5 each comprise a single part having folds defining each of four corners 10 between the four side faces. Preferably, the inner and outer side walls each comprise a folded sheet of cardboard joined at its ends to define a hollow prism. The sheet forming the inner side wall is shorter (along its length perpendicular to the folds) than the part defining the outer side wall, and the side faces defined by the inner side wall are therefore shorter in width than the side faces defined by the outer side wall, such that a gap is provided between the inner and outer side walls when they are assembled together as illustrated.

Insulating material 11 is provided between the inner and outer side walls 3 and 5. As illustrated, the insulating material is in the form of panels of extruded polyethylene foam material, but many other insulating materials may be used. Located at each of the four corners 10 between the

materials may be used. Located at each of the four corners 10 between the inner and outer side wails is a respective corner member 13, preferably formed from the same insulating material as the panels (i.e. preferably extruded polyethylene foam material). The corner members 13 comprise a cylinder having a general cross-section defined by a closed numeral four as shown in Figure 2 and described below. The cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical corner member has been found to be easily manufactured and at low cost, wherein deformation upon cooling, as typically experienced by materials such as polyethylene foam does not result in a poor dimensional stability of the container. It will be appreciated that maintenance of appropriate tolerances is essential to maintain sidewalls insulation panels in place, whereby to ensure the appropriate levels of insulation. In any event, the cylindrical corner members 13 provide additional support to the container (in addition to that provided by the side walls 3 and 5), insulation at the corners 10, and containment of the insulating panels 11 located between them. The corner members 13 also provide containment of cooling or heating means 15 also located between the inner and outer side walls, on the interior side of the insulating panels 11. As illustrated, the means 15 are ice packs. It will also be appreciated that various shapes can also be defined to permit secure retention of container components relative to one another, but an extrusion of foamed material has many advantages. The outline shape of a closed figure "4" is one example of many possible configurations, but the short projecting members are useful in locating, in particular, the sheets of the inside walls container, as well as spacing different types of cooling/thermal packs 15 from insulation sheets 11.

The base 7 and the lid 9 comprise substantially flat (preferably cardboard) sheets, each of which has a projecting peripheral lip arranged to enclose the ends of the inner and outer side walls 3 and 5 when the container is assembled. Also enclosed by the base 7 and the lid 9 is a respective end panel 19 of insulating material (preferably also extruded polyethylene foam material). Additional insulating strips 21, which are entirely optional, are also illustrated; such strips may be provided at the top

and/or bottom of the insulating panels, to close the gap between the inner and outer side walls at the top and/or bottom of the side walls. The container 1 is maintained in its assembled and closed configuration in use by one or more retaining members (not shown), preferably in the form of straps or bands, or polymer sheeting, wound around the container such that the base 7 and the lid 9 are retained on the ends of the side walls. Cooling or heating means 15 may also be placed between outer top wall 9 and inner top wall 3 and between outer bottom panel 7 and inner bottom panel defined by inner wall 3. Strengthening elements (not shown) may be placed at the bottom to prevent distortion of foam insulation material in the event of heavy objects are placed within the container.

Also shown in Figure 1 is a pallet 23 (not forming part of the container 1) on which the container may typically stand in use.

It will be appreciated that the container has a generally modular kit construction. The height of the container may be determined merely by selecting or cutting the inner and outer side walls, and any insulating panels, to the required length. The cross-sectional shape and size of the container (i.e. its "footprint") may be determined easily by selecting or cutting the base and lid to the required shape and size, and by selecting or cutting and folding the parts defining the inner and outer walls to the correct size and shape. Additionally, the end panels 19 of insulating material may simply be selected or cut to the correct size and shape. The ice packs or other cooling (or heating) means 15 will normally be supplied in one or more standard sizes, and an appropriate number of such packs may be used depending upon the shape and size of the container.

Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional diagram illustrating a detail of the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1. In particular, Figure 2 shows a corner region 10 of the container 1, in cross-section. The inner side wall 3, the outer side wall 5, insulating panels 11 and ice packs 15 (or other cooling/heating means) are shown. Also shown is one of the corner members 13. As mentioned above, such corner members 13 preferably are

formed from insulating material, most preferably the material from which the insulating panels 11 are formed (e.g. extruded polyethylene foam material). The illustrated corner member 13 has a preferred cross-sectional shape including ribs 25 arranged to protrude from a main part 27 of the corner member away from the corner region 10 between the inner and outer side walls 3 and 5. The ribs 25 are arranged to be immediately adjacent to the inner side wall 3 and define an apex into which a corner defined by the inner side walls can locate. The ribs 25 can conveniently be of a width corresponding with a thickness of a cooling/heating packl5 and which abut therewith, if such packs are used in a particular application. The ribs 25 extend across only part of the width of the gap between the inner and outer side walls, such that the insulating panels 11 are located in an abutting relationship with the corner member 13. In this way, both the insulating panels 11 and the cooling/heating means 15 are located and contained by the corner members 13, and the heating/cooling means are spaced apart from the corners 10 where their cooling/heating effect on the interior of the container would be less effective than along the side faces of the container. The corner member 13 may also have a cut-away external portion 29 opposite to the ribs 25, to save material. The corner members 13 may be employed along the base-to-sidewall corners and along the Nd- to-sidewall corners. The base member may be arranged such that there are no cooling/heating means inserted between an outer insulating panel and a lower panel of the inside container 10. Of course, for example, in a container of a hexagonal cylindrical configuration there would be six corner elements; in a container of a triangular cylindrical configuration, there would be three corner elements.

Referring now to Figure 3, there is shown a preferred embodiment of a standard pallet sized container, wherein one sidewall 30 is configured to provide a stable-door-style opening arrangement, comprising four such doors, 31, 32, 33, 34. The side wall is hinged along both vertical edges 36, 37 and separable in the middle, conveniently arranged so that they are overlapping when closed and can be sealed by single-sided tape, staples or other convenient fastening means such as an "H" profile extruded plastics

element (not shown). The uppermost edges 42, 43 and lowermost edges 44, 45 of the doors are preferably arranged to engage with a lip 48 defined by an edge portion associated with each of the lid and bottom panels, although the lid is not shown in this Figure; alternatively the uppermost and lowermost portions of respective upper and lower doors may have lips which can overlap in a sealing fashion with the outermost lid and bottom 7 panels or sheets In view of the height of many pallets, which may themselves be stacked upon one or more similarly proportioned containers, it has been found that opening sides to the container are particularly advantageous. It will be appreciated that the outer insulation sheet (not shown) can be easily removed once the outer sidewall has been opened; similarly any cooling/heating elements 15 can be removed as well as one wall of the internal container 10. By having a stable door opening arrangement, it will be realised that, for example only an upper portion need be opened to gain access, if the other inside layers of insulating materials and wall of the internal container also comprise of at least two components. Of course, a further variation could comprise a wall having a door across only part of the wall. In this Figure, it can be clearly seen that the corner extrusion elements 13 securely position the walls of the internal container 10 and define space for active cooling/heating elements 15 and insulation sheets 11.

Figure 4 shows a similar schematic view of the container with reference to Figure 3, but shows the lower stable doors 32, 34 closed and also shows a representation of how the cooling/heating packs 15 may be inserted between stable doors 32, 34 and inside container wall, 10. Again, it can clearly be seen how the corner element 13 functions to securely maintain relative positions of insulation relative to the internal and external containers. Panel 48 is shown secured against the outside of the lower stable doors. Typical dimensions of a pallet are (L x W x H) 1.2m x 0.8m x 1.16m (typical medium pallet) and 1.2m x 0.8m x 1.59m (typical large pallet). However, it will be appreciated that such dimensions are merely by way of example only.