Biodegradable insulative shipping container
A shipping container, particularly suited for shipping wine bottles within a shipping box, having a pair of container halves. Each container half includes an outer tray that is shaped to fit the shipping box, and an inner tray that is configured for securely holding one or more wine bottles. Both the outer tray and inner tray are made of readily recyclable pulp material, and have a void therebetween. A starch based biodegradable insulation material fills the void therebetween, such that the shipping container is made entirely of biodegradable material, yet is sturdy and has insulative properties.
1. A biodegradable insulative shipping container, for transporting shipping goods, comprising two container halves, each container half having:
an outer tray, made of a pulp material, substantially rectangular prism shaped, having side walls that extend substantially perpendicularly to each other and a bottom, the side walls further define an upper edge;
an inner tray, made of a pulp material, having a top, a peripheral edge at the top, the peripheral edge is substantially rectangular and sized to align with the side walls of the outer tray, the inner tray having at least one irregular concave valley, the at least one valley is a continuous surface that extends downwardly from the peripheral edge to define an interior volume that is adapted to accept shipping goods, the inner tray joined to the outer tray along the upper edge, creating a void between the at least one concave valley and the side walls and bottom of the outer tray; and
an insulative layer, made of expandable starch insulation pellets filling the void between the outer tray and inner tray.
2. The biodegradable insulative shipping container as recited in claim 1 , wherein the shipping goods are wine bottles, wherein the at least one valley of the inner tray is shaped to accommodate a wine bottle, the wine bottle having a body and a neck, the at least one valley further comprises a plurality of ribs adapted to support the body of the wine bottle, and a neck hollow adapted to support the neck of the wine bottle, and wherein the inner tray also has several protruding mating portions and receding mating portions, which protrude and recede from the plane of the inner tray top, such that the protruding mating portions are received within the receding mating portions of the other container half.
3. A biodegradable insulative shipping container, for transporting shipping goods, comprising two container halves, each container half having:
an outer tray, made of a pulp material, substantially rectangular prism shaped, having side walls that extend substantially perpendicularly to each other and a bottom;
an inner tray, made of a pulp material, having a top, a peripheral edge at the top, the peripheral edge is substantially rectangular and has four flaps extending outwardly therefrom and bendable to extend downwardly therefrom, the inner tray having an irregular concave valley, the valley is a continuous surface that extends downwardly from the peripheral edge to define an interior volume that is adapted to accept shipping goods, the inner tray joined to the outer tray by the flaps extending downwardly inside and against the side walls of the outer tray, creating a void between the concave valley and the bottom of the outer tray; and
an insulative layer, made of expandable starch insulation pellets filling the void between the outer tray and inner tray.
4. The biodegradable insulative shipping container as recited in claim 3 , wherein the shipping goods are wine bottles, wherein the at least one valley of the inner tray is shaped to accommodate a wine bottle, the wine bottle having a body and a neck, the at least one valley further comprises a plurality of ribs adapted to support the body of the wine bottle and a neck hollow adapted to support the neck of the wine bottle, and wherein the inner tray also has several protruding mating portions and receding mating portions, which protrude and recede from the plane of the inner tray top, such that the protruding mating portions are received within the receding mating portions of the other container half.