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US 11,920,861 B2Granted
Freezable insulated crate liner
AssigneePackit, LLC
InventorsMelissa Kieling, Roland Ecarma, Kenneth Arthur Gross
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device and method for transporting items, and more specifically a crate liner for use in delivering temperature-controlled items such as perishable food. The crate liner being insulated to maintain a temperature-controlled environment within the liner. The crate liner being collapsible to minimize the space required for storing the crate liner when not in use.
Claims13
A freezable liner comprising:
- a plurality of panels cooperatively assembled to define an interior cavity accessible via an opening, the plurality of panels comprising at least a base panel, a front panel opposing a rear panel, and a pair of opposing side panels;
- wherein the liner is configured to fold into a collapsed configuration by folding the front panel and the rear panel into the interior cavity, and folding the base panel towards the opening;
- wherein each of said front panel and said rear panel comprises a pair of angled creases wherein the first angled crease extending from proximate a first of said opposing side panels and said base panel to a vertical crease, and the second angled crease extending from proximate a second of said opposing side panels and said base panel to said vertical crease, wherein said base panel comprises a horizontal crease extending from said front panel to said rear panel, and wherein the liner is configured to fold into said collapsed configuration by folding each of said front panel and said rear panel along said respective first angled crease, said respective vertical crease, and said respective second angled crease and folding said base panel along said horizontal crease;
- wherein a lid extends from the front panel, rear panel, and opposing side panels, the lid comprising a pair of lid gussets extending from the front and rear panels and front and back lids extending from the opposing side walls such that when the front and back lids are folded over the cavity, the lid gussets collapse into the cavity of the liner and provide support to the front and back lids;
- and
- wherein the plurality of panels each comprise an interior layer proximate the cavity and an exterior layer forming the exterior of the liner, the pair of opposing side panels further comprise both a stiffener and a layer of temperature control material therebetween, and the lid gussets each comprise an interior layer proximate the cavity, an insulation layer, a rigid middle layer, a temperature control material, and an exterior layer forming the exterior of the lid gusset.
3 more elements
A method of providing an temperature controlled rigid container, the method comprising:
- folding a liner comprising a base panel, lid, and a peripheral wall;
- wherein the peripheral wall comprising a front wall opposing a rear wall and a pair of opposing side walls, each of the front wall and the rear wall comprising one or more creases, each of the opposing side walls comprising one or more discrete gel packs, the peripheral wall extending from the base panel to form a cavity into a collapsed configuration by folding the front wall and the rear wall into the cavity along the one or more creases;
- wherein the lid comprising a pair of lid gussets extending from the front wall and rear wall and front and back lids extending from the opposing side walls;
- placing the liner in a temperature-controlled environment until the gel packs reach a desired temperature;
- removing the liner from the temperature-controlled environment;
- unfolding the liner into an expanded configuration by unfolding the front wall and the rear wall;
- and
- placing the liner within a crate comprising a base panel and a peripheral wall each of the base panel and the peripheral wall composed of a rigid material.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.