DESCRIPTION

Technical Field This invention relates to a thermal insulation device that is collapsible and, when erect, is to provide an insulating enclosure e.g. for a container of a comestible food or drink or other material .

Background Art

It is known to provide a thermal insulating sleeve around a can or bottle of beverage, and for this sleeve to comprise elongate strips of insulating material disposed, slightly spaced apart in side-by-side relation, an inner layer of reflective material covering the inner faces of all the strips, an outer continuous layer of reflective material covering the outer faces of all the strips, the two layers approaching one another and forming a flexible hinge in the space between each pair of neighbouring strips. The plurality of hinges thus have their pivotal axes extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve. Such a construction has a limited collapsibility (i.e. it does not permit a very substantial reduction in size from erect to collapsed state) and provides no thermal insulation for the top and/or bottom of the container.

It is therefore considered desirable to provide a thermal insulating enclosure that is highly collapsible and is inexpensive to produce, and which can overcome the above- mentioned and/or other difficulties or problems associated with the prior art .

Summary of the Invention

According to this invention there is provided a thermal insulation device that is collapsible and, when erect, is to provide an insulating enclosure (e.g. for a comestible (food or drink) or other material, or for a container therefor) , wherein the device comprises: a rigid base member of insulating material; a flexible wall of insulating material upstanding — in the erect state of the device — from the perimeter of the base member; and a collar extending around the end of the flexible wall opposite the rigid base member; and wherein the device is collapsible by collapse of said flexible wall as the base member and collar are urged towards one another.

Preferably said flexible wall collapses inwardly, e.g. generally twistingly and radially where the erect wall is cylindrical .

Preferably, the thermal insulating device comprises a closure member co-operable with the collar. The closure member may be pivotally attached to the collar. Alternatively, and preferably, the closure member is removable from off the collar — and conveniently may be screw-threadably co-operable therewith. The closure member may incorporate a replica of a ring-pull tab of a conventional can of beverage, e.g. beer or cola. The flexible wall may be externally printed to represent a conventional can of beverage, e.g. beer or cola.

Advantageously the base member is of similar shape to, but dimensionally smaller than, the collar such as to fit within the collar when the flexible wall is collapsed.

Preferably the thermal insulating device further comprises a sealed unit containing a thermal retention material, e.g. having an ability to retain a set temperature (for example a gel with a eutectic at around 0°C (for freezing) and/or (for heating) at around 100°C) . In a preferred embodiment the thermal retention material may be monopropylene glycol (MPG) combined with de-mineralised water, e.g. as obtainable from Thermo Packs Ltd, of Wimbourne, Dorset.

The sealed unit may be formed within the base member, or as is preferred, may be a separate item removable from the interior of the enclosure. Advantageously in this latter case, the removable unit is dimensioned to fit snugly and slidingly within the wall (when the device is erect) and be supported by the base member.

Preferably the thermal insulating device is provided in combination with an envelope comprising a pair of like panels disposed in registry one above the other in mutually spaced relation and linked by a band extending partially around the perimeter of the panels to provide a lateral opening through which the thermal insulating device (in a collapsed state) can be inserted for retention by the envelope .

Brief Description of the Drawings

By way of example one embodiment of this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a partly-sectioned and partly-broken away view illustrating a thermal insulating device embodying the present invention in its erected state, Figure 2 is a plan view of the device of Fig 1, Figure 3 is a plan view of a sealed thermal unit shown in Fig 1,

Figure 4 is a partly-sectioned view of the unit of Fig 3, Figure 5 is a sectioned view of the insulating device of

Fig 1 in its collapsed state, and Figure 6 is a perspective view of the collapsed device of Fig 5 and a envelope therefor.

Detailed Description of Example(s) of the Invention The device 10 comprises a rigid base member 12 which, in this illustrated embodiment, consists of a circular disc of rigid plastics material (e.g. polyester) that is covered on each face by a metallic reflective film 11,13. The film may be applied as a folded-over double- size piece so as to cover the two faces simultaneously. Optionally the film 11,13 may be such as that available from ICI under the brand name MELINEX. Attached to the base member 12 and upstanding therefrom is a cylindrical wall member 15 of thin flexible thermally insulating material 14, e.g. a polypropylene fabric or textile. This hβis each of its inner and outer surfaces 16,17 coated with a metallic reflective film - optionally by folding over a double-sized piece of the film. This film may likewise be a layer of MELINEX. The outward facing reflective film on outer surface 17 may carry indicia either directly printed thereon or printed onto a carrier sheet adhered thereto, the said indicia preferably including company and/or braMd marking whereby the device 10 can serve for promotional and/or marketing purposes.

A rigid collar 20 of plastics material is attached to the top of the flexible wall 15, this collar 20 being threaded internally. A removable cap or like closure member 22 of plastics or other thermally insulating material is threadably engageable with the collar 20. In this preferred embodiment the top face of closure member 22 is formed with a replica of a ring-pull tab 23 as is found on a conventional beverage can. Optionally the closure member 22 may have an insulated pad on its underside and/or may have a reflective film coating its top surface.

The diameter of the flexible cylindrical wall member 15 of this embodiment as such as to be capable of accommodating snugly a conventional-sized can 18 of a beverage, e g a cola or beer The height of the flexible wall member 15 of this embodiment is greater than that of such a conventional-sized can such that, m addition to a conventional beverage can, the device 10 can accommodate a sealed thermal unit 25 having a high latent heat of cooling and/or of heating.

The sealed thermal unit 25 has its lower surface shaped to conform to its base member 12 and has its upper surface shaped to conform at least partially (e.g at its periphery) to the shape of the underside of a conventional beverage can 18 The sealed thermal unit 25 contains a gel compound 26, e.g monopropylene glycol (MPG) combined with de-mineralised water (obtainable, for example, from Thermo Packs Ltd, of imbourne, Dorset) , which has a high latent heat of cooling The unit 25 can thus be placed m a refrigerator until the compound 26 within it freezes, removed and placed in the erected device 10 so as to be able to cool down a can 18 of beverage that is then placed onto the unit 25. Due to the high latent heat of the refrigerated gel 26, the can 18 can experience an extended period of cooling.

If desired, and with a suitable gel 26, the unit 25 can be heated, e g. in a microwave oven, and used to heat a cup of a beverage retained m device 10.

When the beverage can (or cup) is removed from device 10, the thermal un t 25 can be withdrawn (for re-use on a subsequent occasion) . The device 10 can then be collapsed to the form shown in Fig 5 by simply rotating the collar 20 and base 12 with respect to one another, and pushing the collar 20 and base 12 inwards towards one another

Ultimately the compacted and collapsed flexible wall occupies the space within the collar 20. Where this collar 20 has an internal diameter greater than the diameter of the base 12, this base 12 can also be accommodated inside the collar 20.

This last permits the device 10 to be accommodated in an envelope-like package 30 comprising two disc-like panels 31 (of like diameter to collar 20) disposed in spaced registry with one another and linked by a band 32 extending part-way around the perimeter of panels 31 to leave a side opening 33 through which the collapsed device 10 can be inserted so as to be housed within envelope 30.

The above-described and illustrated embodiment of this invention can enclose and maintain cool for up to 4 hours a beverage container and its contents that have been previously pre-cooled in, say, a refrigerator. Furthermore, using the optional sealed thermal unit 25, a beverage container and its contents at, say, room temperature can be chilled (or at least cooled) and kept in a cold state for a considerable period. This allows a user the freedom to carry a single can of beverage in a convenient and practical manner to enjoy that beverage as a cold refreshing drink later in the day.

It will be appreciated that the sealed thermal unit 25 need not have the entirety of its upper surface conforming to the shape of the underside of the can of beverage, but can conform only to part (preferably the outer periphery) only.

It will also be appreciated that the device 10 is light in weight, is collapsible after use to a size which can fit into a pocket or a handbag, and is subsequently re-usable.

Furthermore, the device 10 is inexpensive to produce and,

if suitable printed on the exterior, can provide a highly visual impact to promote a product and/or its branding - such promotional activities being on-going due to the re¬ usable nature of the device.

Other modifications and embodiments of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art. In one example, the illustrated embodiment may be modified for retaining a cup of beverage in a cool state or in a hot state, or in cooling it with a refrigerated unit 25, or in heating it with a pre-heated unit 25. Optionally, at least part of the upper surface of the unit 25 may fit the bottom contour of the cup. Indeed, at least part of it can be shaped to fit the underside of any container of comestibles which it is intended to heat up or cool down in the device. In one example, the device may be modified to contain a bottle, the closure member 20 being removable or having an opening through which the upper neck of the bottle can extend to render the bottle's contents readily pourable without requiring removal of the bottle from out of the device .

In another embodiment the plan outline of the illustrated thermal insulating device is modified to a non-circular shape. For example it may rectangular to enable the device to be used as a collapsible carton enclosure, or a collapsible sandwich container (having a flat rectangular lid-like closure member) or a collapsible lunch box (having a closure member in the form of a pitched roof) , in each case with or without a sealed thermal unit such as 25. In still another embodiment, the sealed thermal unit 25 is non-removable but instead is incorporated into the base member of the device. In yet another embodiment, the closure member is not fully detachable but instead is attached to the collar by a flexible joint member.

These, and other embodiments and modifications, are to be deemed within the ambit and scope of the invention, and the particular embodiment (s) hereinbefore described may be varied in construction and detail, e.g. interchanging (where appropriate or desired) different features of each, without departing from the scope of the patent monopoly hereby sought .