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US 2011/0254306 A1Published application
System and method for vehicle insulation
AssigneeFG Products, Inc.
InventorCHAD NELSON
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to one or more embodiments, an insulated liner structure for a vehicle includes a number of lightweight, potentially reusable insulated panels that may be attached to form an insulated enclosure, chamber, shell or other similar interior space. In some embodiments, the panels may be constructed with a lightweight single-layer or multi-layer core covered or surrounded by a flexible fabric skin. The panels may be shaped to substantially conform to the interior cargo area of a vehicle, and may include a floor panel, a roof panel, right and left wall panels, and a rear door panel, each of which may include multiple panels or structures.
Claims20
A method for assembling an insulated enclosure substantially conforming to a cargo area of a vehicle comprising:
- providing a floor unit including one or more floor members, a rear unit including one or more rear members, a front unit including one or more front members, a left side unit including one or more left side members, a right side unit including one or more right side members, and a ceiling unit including one or more ceiling members, wherein the rear unit, the front unit, the left side unit, the right side unit, and the ceiling unit comprise a lightweight flexible foam material;
- constructing a freestanding partial enclosure by:
- (a) releasably and toollessly attaching the left side unit to the rear unit,
- (b) releasably and toollessly attaching the right side unit to the rear unit, and
- (c) releasably and toollessly attaching the ceiling unit to the left side unit, the right side unit, and the rear unit, wherein steps (a) through (c) occur outside the cargo area of the vehicle;
- releasably attaching one or more left side members to the floor unit;
- releasably attaching one or more right side members to the floor unit;
- releasably attaching the front unit to the floor unit, at least one of the one or more right side members, and at least one of the one or more left side members;
- and
- releasably and toollessly attaching the ceiling unit to at least one of the one or more right side members, at least one of the one or more left side members, and at least one of the one or more front members.
7 more elements
An insulated liner kit for a vehicle comprising:
- a floor unit including one or more floor panels;
- and
- at least five insulated panels including a first left side panel, a first right side panel, a first front wall panel, a first rear panel, and a first roof panel, the at least five insulated panels being formed of a lightweight flexible foam and encased in a moisture-resistant fabric, wherein
- the floor unit includes one or more floor unit fasteners for releasable engagement with at least the first left side panel, the first right side panel, and the first front wall panel,
- toolless fasteners are disposed at a plurality of the peripheral edges of the first left side panel, the first right side panel, the first front wall panel, and the first roof panel, wherein the toolless fasteners are configured to releasably mate to complementary toolless fasteners disposed on an adjacent panel,
- the at least five insulated panels and the floor unit assemble to create an insulated chamber substantially conforming to a size and a shape of a cargo area of the vehicle, the insulated chamber capable of being removeably installed within the cargo area of the vehicle, and
- at least one of the first left side panel, the first right side panel, and the rear panel behaves as an access panel, providing access to the insulated chamber through a door of the vehicle.
4 more elements
A modular system for reversible conversion to a controlled temperature transport comprising:
- a vehicle including a cab area, a cargo area, and at least one cargo port for access to the cargo area, the cargo area including an interior having a left side wall, a right side wall, a front wall, a rear wall, and a ceiling;
- at least five insulated panels including a left side panel, a right side panel, a top panel, a front panel and a back panel provided to insulate a top and each of four sides of the cargo area of the vehicle, the at least five insulated panels being manufactured from a lightweight flexible foam material surrounded by a fabric layer, toolless connectors at a plurality of peripheral edges of the at least five insulated panels being attachably and detachably mateable to complementary toolless fasteners on adjacent panels;
- and
- at least one floor panel, wherein
- the left side panel is toollessly attachable to and detachable from the front panel and the top panel,
- the right side panel is toollessly attachable to and detachable from the front panel and the top panel,
- the front panel is toollessly attachable to and detachable from the left side panel, the right side panel, and the top panel, and the front panel, the left side panel, the right side panel, the top panel, the back panel, and the floor panel detachably assemble into a shell substantially conforming to a shape and a size of the cargo area of the vehicle, the shell adapted to be partially assembled prior to placement in the cargo area of the vehicle without direct fastening of the shell to the left side wall, the right side wall, the front wall, the rear wall, and the ceiling of the cargo area.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.