Method and system for maintaining temperature-sensitive materials. According to one embodiment, the method involves positioning temperature-sensitive materials within a product box and positioning phase-change material around the product box. If the edges of the product box where adjoining sides meet are covered by phase-change material, then the product box and the phase-change materials are loaded into a frame-and-panel-type insulated container in which an insulating material having a higher R-value is located along the container edges and an insulating material having a lower R-value is spaced away from the container edges. By contrast, if the edges of the product box are not covered by phase-change material, then the product box and the phase-change materials are loaded into a frame-and-panel-type insulated container in which an insulating material having a lower R-value is located along the container edges and an insulating material having a higher R-value is spaced away from the container edges.

Thermal-insulation container 1, comprising a bottom 26, side walls 21, 22, 23, 24 arranged on the bottom 26 and a lid 25 arranged on the side walls 21, 22, 23, 24, wherein the bottom 26, the side walls 21, 22, 23, 24 and the lid 25 completely enclose an interior space 3, and wherein the lid 25 has a heat transfer coefficient k.sub.D, the bottom 26 has a heat transfer coefficient k.sub.B, and each of the side walls 21, 22, 23, 24 has one of the heat transfer coefficients k.sub.S1, k.sub.S2, k.sub.S3 or k.sub.S4, and further k.sub.D<minimum [k.sub.S1, k.sub.S2, k.sub.S3, k.sub.S4, k.sub.B].

An insulated packaging assembly can include a box including a top side wall, a bottom side wall, a first lateral side wall, a second lateral side wall, a third lateral side wall, and a fourth lateral side wall the box defining a cavity; a first thermal liner positioned in the cavity, a first portion of the first thermal liner positioned in contact with the top side wall, a second portion of the first thermal liner positioned in contact with the first lateral side wall, a third portion of the first thermal liner positioned in contact with the bottom side wall; and a second thermal liner defining a first end and a second end disposed opposite from the first end, the second thermal liner defining an inner surface and an outer surface disposed opposite from the inner surface.

A formulation includes a polymeric material and can be used to form an insulated container.

A thermally insulated VIP sandwich shipper for a temperature sensitive payload is provided. The shipper comprises an outer shell, an inner shell and vacuum insulated panels sandwiched therebetween. The outer shell and the inner shell may be unitary rigid structures made of an expanded foam material and comprising a bottom having a perimeter and sides extending from the bottom perimeter and terminating in a rim. The inner shell rim may be spaced from the outer shell rim to define a gap, the gap being sealed to create an enclosed space within which the vacuum insulated panels are located. Each vacuum insulated panel may be oriented substantially orthogonally to at least one adjacent vacuum insulated panel and have an edge that abuts the adjacent vacuum insulated panels.

An intermodal container includes a supporting frame having a rectangular base; a first pair of upright posts extending upwardly from the rectangular base; and a first cross-beam coupling the first pair of upright posts. A second pair of upright posts extends upwardly from the rectangular base proximate an opposite end thereof, and a second cross-beam couples the second pair of upright posts. A longitudinally extending connector beam has a first end coupled to the first cross-beam, and a second end coupled to the second cross-beam. The intermodal container further includes a plurality of panels, and each panel is made of fiber reinforced plastic and insulation foam that have been integrally molded together. The panels are coupled to the supporting frame and serve as side walls, end wall, roof, and floor of the container. A method for constructing an intermodal container is also disclosed.

The invention provides an insulating transport container (10) for transportation of beverages in ready to drink on demand beverage containers over short distances where temperature control is needed inside the beverage container when transporting the hot or cold beverages and which includes an insulating holder for cups (34) positioned or placed therein, which insulating holder (25) reduces temperature changes and inhibits spillage during transportation of cups (34) containing a beverage, wherein the holder includes one or more self supporting resiliently deformable insulating material portions with at least one portion (24) having a plurality of cup receiving cavities (26), which holder is sized and dimensioned to be placed inside the transport container for the transportation of beverages. The invention further provides an insert cover (50) for a beverage cup, said insert cover being a sheet of food grade material which is larger or equivalent in diameter to the top of the cup on which it is to be used and, in use, is placed or inserted to form a cover insert between the top of the cup and a sealing lid, provided that the cover is not sealed or otherwise secured to the cup prior to placing of the lid onto the cup and is only inserted after a beverage has been dispensed into the cup. The invention extends to a method of transporting a beverage.

A robust, durable, easy to use, reusable shipping container is disclosed that is capable of protecting contents from surrounding high temperatures up to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit for a minimum of at least three and a half hours. The container includes an inner chamber surrounded by an outer chamber. A phase change liquid (PCL) is sequestered in a porous support matrix contained in the inner chamber, while the outer chamber is filled with high temperature insulation, forming an outer barrier layer that is designed to reduce heat flux into the inner chamber.

An insulating container having a base and a lid is provided. The lid may be rotatable about a hinge from a closed configuration to an open configuration and may be secured, via one or more latching devices, in either the closed configuration or the open configuration. In some examples, the rotatable lid may be non-destructively removable from the base. Some example arrangements include a removable lid that, when removed, may be secured to the base via an additional portion of the latching device. Additional features of the insulating container include handles that are integrally formed with the base, a recess formed in the base and housing a spigot, and/or a spigot guard.

Delivering items to users by a delivery organization comprises a delivery container suitable to deliver multiple items that require storage at different temperatures for the duration of the delivery. The delivery container may be a cube or a rectangular prism constructed of an insulating material. The delivery organization may position a central panel in the delivery container to separate two compartments of the delivery container, each compartment to be cooled to a different temperature than the other. The delivery organization determines an appropriate coolant for each compartment based on heat transfer requirements of the compartment and positions the coolant in the bottom of each respective compartment. A panel is placed over each coolant and the items are placed in the appropriate compartments of the delivery container. A top panel is positioned on the delivery container to seal the delivery container.